Front Range
AvalancheNick Barlow · Apr 6, 2017 · Front Range
Snowpack
Dry Gulch and Mt. Trelease received a bit more storm snow than Loveland Ski Area, and nearby wx stations during the Tue/Wed storm. The storm snow settled, but I estimate 25-35cm for the Tue/Wed cycle. Still found deep, wind-loaded pockets with 50-60cm of drifted storm snow. The area saw (4) different storm cycles since March 24th. I found signs of (3), separated by thin melt/freeze crusts. Some NSF adjacent to the crusts, but they were not reactive in column tests, and showed signs of rounding. The cleanest and easiest shears were within the most recent storm snow, on a layer of large preserved stellars. I suspect it was a storm intensity change/wind shift, given the nature of Tue/Wed's storm. In the areas I traveled, the overlying slab was not enough to produce an avalanche
Avalanche
Loose Wet avalanches off Hagar Mountain this afternoon. Steep terrain near rocks, SE aspect ATL. They grew larger and more numerous throughout the day. I suspect more released after I left around 0230.