Grand Mesa
AvalancheColin Mitchell · Nov 24, 2014 · Grand Mesa
Weather
Heavy snow and moderate NW winds. Snow was heavily drifted and redistributed by recent and current winds, but sheltered areas averaged around 16 inches of snow from the past 48 hours.
Snowpack
Snow on N aspects and in exposed areas was heavily affected by wind. 1F hard drifts up to 3' high were adjacent to areas that had been stripped down to the old snow layer. N facing start zones held little snow. In more sheltered areas, new snow from this weekend was starting to slab up and was reactive to snowpack tests. The majority of the new snow was still stellar crystals, but a distinct 4F slab around 12 cm thick was forming right above the old snow, and was beginning to support the weight of a person.
Avalanche
Several R1 D1 loose snow avalanches had come down along the side of the road from the cliffs above Sky Point yesterday evening. Debris piles were 1-3 meters wide and 1 meter high.