Front Range
SnowpackBrian Lazar · Mar 16, 2013 · Front Range
Weather
warm start to the day, then cooled off after 2pm. Brief periods of S1 snow, and convective bursts generating graupel after noon. Surprising light winds for along this section of the Continental Divide, with some gusts into the 30s. Limited drifting snow.
Snowpack
Recent warm temperatures and sun melted the surface of the snowpack on all but north-facing slopes. Crusts ranges from 2 to 5 cm thick, most pronounced on southerly aspects. Wetting front did not penetrate any deeper than that, but there was evidence of percolation tubes into the mid-pack. Still dealing with hard slabs over rounding faceted weak layers and 30-40 cm of depth hoar. Snow temperatures are still cold.