Sawatch
AvalancheColin Mitchell · May 11, 2015 · Aspen
Weather
Clear and sunny day, with mostly calm winds. HSt 12" with 1.65" of H2O.
Snowpack
The snowpack averages about 120 cm in the SW facing study plot. The snowpack here consists of basically four layers. The top 35 cm or so is the storm snow from last weekend, 4F+ rounds. At the interface with the old snow, there is a F hard layer of wet snow that did not freeze over the weekend. This layer was reactive to ECT tests, ECTP 11 and 17. Below this is melt forms to the ground knife hard with a couple of ice crusts, down to about 15 cm, then a 1F hard layer of old, well-rounded DH that goes to the ground. The top 3-5 cm of snow was getting wet yesterday by the time of this ob. A few rollerballs were spotted and a couple of small loose snow slides form the east facing cliff bands above the river.
Avalanche
Several thin wind slabs released from ridgelines, and a few D1 loose slides came out of rocky, east-facing terrain yesterday afternoon.