Front Range
AvalancheJason Konigsberg · May 4, 2016 · Front Range
Weather
Another clear day with warm temperatures. The temperature at noon was 49 degrees at 11000 ft at the Grizzly Peak SNOTEL site...5 degrees warmer than yesterday. Winds were light at all elevations.
Snowpack
Similar conditions to yesterday with thick melt-freeze crusts in the morning softening throughout the day. With warmer temperatures today and overnight last night the warming of the snowpack was deeper today, with about 6" of the settled recent storm snow becoming moist on all aspects except north. Due north aspects continue to stay dry, near and above treeline, with a snow surface of either soft wind-drifted snow or hard, non-reactive wind slabs.
Avalanche
Most of the avalanche activity observed today was from yesterday's Loose Wet avalanche cycle. Some of the avalanches observed ran over 500 vertical feet and resulted in sizable debris piles. Of note was what looked to be a small remotely triggered Wind Slab avalanche on a southwest facing slope on the south side of Loveland Pass (see picture below).