Aspen
AvalancheMatt Huber · Feb 4, 2020 · Aspen
Weather
Cold. High thin clouds filtered sunshine for most of the trip, with only brief period of visibility across drainages and ridgelines. Winds at 12,500 were not strong enough to transport snow, although evidence of previous drifting in yesterdays storm was apparent in higher elevations.
Snowpack
Very few slopes made it through last weeks warm temperatures without developing a melt freeze crust, only due north aspects and well protected terrain were spared. Cold temperatures today already began faceting yesterday's 10-15 cm of new snow that is resting on the crust. This is a portion of the zone where the snowpack remains thin and weak, 100 cm at 10,500 feet. Ski penetration is full depth on a mostly faceted snowpack, with only a remnant of a midpack slab that doesnt support propagation in Extended Column tests, ECTN15
Avalanche
Several small, shallow (20 centimeter) soft slab avalanches observed just below ridgelines on east-facing slopes above treeline, all relatively harmless. Debris can be seen in the gut of Garrett, below the peak, from a larger avalnche likely during the last wind event