Grand Mesa

Snowpack

Skies were obscured this morning with light to moderate snowfall. New snow was low density and falling with little to no wind. Deeper new snow accumulations, 3-4 inches, on the south side of Grand Mesa. Much less snow as you traveled north on Hwy 65. Strengthening upper snowpack layers have reduced signs of instability such as shooting cracks and collapses. Observed none of these today. Lower half of the snowpack still contains a concerning weak layer of depth hoar. Compression test on this layer showed moderate to hard results with sudden collapse failures. On the south aspects of Crag Crest, this depth hoar layer was found in some areas (including my test profile)where early season snow did not melt out. In all areas traveled today, the late January storm snow layers have gained strength, up to 4f-1f hardness in the middle of the snowpack. This rest above that depth hoar layer and is the most concerning interface for triggered avalanches.