Sawatch

Snowpack

Evan Ross ยท Jan 15, 2017

View on map

Weather

WEATHER: Mostly Cloudy. Seemed like clouds were hanging on the east side of the divide and it looked mostly clear on the west side. Periods of strong sun and green housing through the clouds. Warm temps. S2 snowfall in the morning, tapering to no snowfall by 11am. Light winds.

Snowpack

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: HS on easterly aspect around 11,500 or just general easterly NTL was about 180-200cm. 10cm of low density new snow was sitting on firm 4f+ old snow. Old snow quickly became 1F into P with depth. While that new snow was dry in the morning it could sluff easily in steep terrain and run on the denser old snow surface. No other signs to instability in quick observations. Boot pen about 25cm. Northwest aspect felt very similar. Didn't measure HS. Snow surface became heavy with warm temps and sun throughout the day. Moist surface at 11,000ft by 3pm on the way home.