In an upside-down snowpack, soft/cold snow progresses to what in the upper layers?

• A. Wet snow
• B. Ice
• C. Powder
• D. Hardpack

Answer: (A)

When the surface snow is soft and cold in an upside-down snowpack, exposure to sun and warmer temperatures causes that upper layer to melt and absorb water. This turns the surface into wet snow, a denser, heavier, and less cohesive form than the original dry, fluffy snow. The gradual wetting of the top layers is the natural progression here, and it has important implications for stability because wet snow changes how stress is transmitted between layers. Ice, powder, or hardpack describe different states that don’t fit the typical warming-driven evolution of the upper layers in this scenario.