Loose Wet
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Very Likely
- Dimensione
- 1–2.5
Temperatures stayed well above freezing again last night. While the snowpack may have lost enough heat to the clear night sky for a thin, weak refreeze in some areas, other areas may not have refrozen, especially on tree-covered slopes. Today's intense sunshine and warm weather will quickly melt through whatever refreeze did occur and create unstable wet snow on all aspects. Yesterday, a small wet loose avalanche carried the skier who triggered it downhill and almost pushed them into rocks before they stopped. Today's wet snow avalanches could also be large enough to cause problems for backcountry travelers.
Wet snow avalanches entrain more snow as they slide downhill, so expect larger activity on long steep slopes. Once the snow becomes unsupportable, starts to feel wet, or pinwheels/rollerballs start occurring, wet loose avalanches will follow quickly. You can reduce the risk of encountering wet snow avalanches by recreating on slopes less steep than 35 ° without steeper slopes above. Timing your day to find supportable snow may not work today since whatever refreeze may exist will melt so fast that conditions will change quickly.
(4/9/2023)
Wet loose avalanche on Flagpole Peak.
Photo: Public