Front Range
SnowpackAmanda Loughlin · Mar 26, 2024 · Front Range
Weather
Periods of sun, broken skies, warm temps in the morning and dropping in the afternoon with light and a brief period of moderate snowfall and moderate west winds.
Snowpack
I experienced localized cracking on wind slabs on northeast aspects near treeline and did not observe any avalanches or experience any collapsing. New snow was preserved below treeline and already decomposing near treeline. I dug two snow pits on northeast aspects near treeline: one in a relatively sheltered area and the other in an open bowl. The "sheltered" snow pit revealed 21cm of new snow that was already decomposing and faceting, a P hard MFcr, faceting and decomposing snow from 3/14 storm, rounding facets, and P-K hard slabs over facets and depth hoar. I conducted two extended column tests (ECTs) that yielded two different results: ECTX and ECTPV at the interface between MFcr and facets 24cm down. A compression test (CT) produced CT24 @↓24cm (SC) also at this interface. The second snow pit that was more exposed to wind told a different story. Here I found a thin wind slab forming over the 3/25 decomposing snow, over a stout K hard wind slab, on top of the 3/14 decomposing snow, P to K hard slabs and 1F rounded grains at the basal layer. This structure produced ECTX, CTN, and PST (100/100) X @ 96cm, the interface between K hard wind slab and 4F decomposing snow. I observed that on northeast aspects near treeline in sheltered areas (near taller trees and vegetation) the 3/14 snow is faceting and is more reactive. Whereas snow on nearby on more open terrain features has formed a stout wind slab over the decomposing snow that is not as reactive to tests and could be more problematic if triggered.