Sawatch
AvalancheBrandon Levy · May 13, 2020 · Aspen
Weather
Windy from the start of the morning at 0900. Windier this morning than yesterday afternoon. Temperatures climbed from the upper 30's to the mid 40's. Cool in the shade and in wind exposed terrain. Intense sunshine with zero to few clouds.
Snowpack
Convective cooling was helping keep the snow surface firm on the West and Southwest facing slopes above SH82. The recent storm snow (about 8" / 20cms) was crusted adding to the surface crust which was supportable to skis and boots. The MFcr at the surface was 29 cms thick in the profile at 11900' feet on a SW facing slope above SH82. The crust was knife hard which made shoveling a bear. The mid-pack is moist pencil hard rounds while the lower snowpack is still much weaker in resistance at 4F to fist hard. The resistance step(s) from the mid pack to the lower snowpack is somewhat disconcerting as well as sudden results in small column test (CT14SC down 109 cms) at the top of the rounding depth hoar / polycrystals. That said, the basal grains are moist to wet and the snowpack is draining with audible and visible water in the ditches at the road level.
Avalanche
Several point releases / roller balls observed from yesterday (5/12/2020). One wet slab avalanche in steep rocky terrain on the West facing slopes of Fourth of July Bowl also from yesterday afternoon.