Aspen
AvalancheBrian Lazar, Greg Shaffran ,James Floyer · Feb 8, 2018 · Aspen
Weather
Mostly calm day, and warm. Broken skies with high thin clouds causing a mild greenhouse effect making it feel warmer than it was. Any winds that were noticeable were sporadic and isolated to on the ridge.
Snowpack
Fresh wind-drifted slabs and small cornice formation on easterly aspects. Wind slabs were only 3 to 6 inches thick and posed little hazard though some naturally running avalanches from likely later in the previous day ran up to 1000 vertical ft, but didn't entrain more than the surface snow. Buried persistent weak layers at depth still reactive in snowpack tests(PSTs to end), but slabs seems isolated to heavily wind-drifted areas. Facet sluffs a distinct possibility below treeline in steep shaded terrain.
Avalanche
A few fresh D1-1.5 wind slabs avalanches but only broke 3 to 6 inches deep.