Sawatch
SnowpackBo Torrey · Apr 23, 2021 · Aspen
Weather
Spring weather. Sunny and partly cloudy on the drive up the canyon turned into heavy snow showers and overcast skies. Although heavy snow at time, little accumulated. Some graupel mixed in. Gusty west winds.
Snowpack
2" of new snow at the Brumley trailhead. Maybe 6" or so up higher near treeline. Some short but strong bursts of snow and graupel didn't add much in terms of accumulation. Most surface snow as damp with the exception of due north facing slopes. Winds were effectively transporting snow on slopes near and above treeline. Found drifts 10 to 12 inches deep but were unreactive. On a north facing slopes near treeline I found a layer of buried facets below the recent snow and above the thick crust from last week before the snow returned. The layer was 1cm thick and will be something to watch if more snow accumulates above and forms a cohesive slab. Most likely areas to trigger an avalanche right now would be where wind drifted snow into a cohesive slab 10 inches or more thick.