Grand Mesa
AvalancheColin Mitchell ยท Feb 20, 2016
Weather
Partly cloudy and cool.
Snowpack
Plenty of snow left in the Bookcliffs. HS 30" in my study plot. High temperatures have been 5-10 degrees cooler here than in the Aspen zone, and it shows in the snowpack. Steep south and west-facing terrain has little to no snow left, but shady aspects are holding 12-30" of fairly wintry snow. Observations on N aspects earlier this season showed a very weak snowpack composed almost wholly of depth hoar with a few old windslabs perched on top. The snowpack has consolidated and rounded in the last month, but is still weak. Foot pen is to ground. Currently, stability is good, with a very homogenous snowpack, composed of a soft melt/freeze crust at the surface, and moist rounding facets below that. A very large storm still might be able to overload this structure.
Avalanche
None observed or reported