Sawatch
AvalancheIan Hoyer · Jan 8, 2016 · Sawatch
Weather
Snowed until around 2pm, only ~3" new. No visibility up into the alpine, but winds weren't blowing at all near treeline.
Snowpack
Traveled below and near treeline on a variety of aspects. Around 3" new snow. Little/no drifting observed. Snowpack is still primarily faceted, just over 1 m snowdepth. Bottom half of snowpack is basal facets/depth hoar, top half is decomposing/faceting snow from Christmas storm cycle. Near treeline there is a supportable slab. Structure is still poor in any place with a slab, but no signs of instability.
Avalanche
No new activity was noted