Front Range
SnowpackRyan Zarter · Dec 12, 2023 · Front Range
Weather
Broken skies, calm winds, and temps climbing to just above freezing at the Berthoud Summit SNOTEL.
Snowpack
Below treeline I would still get occasional, localized collapses on steeper terrain features. The snowpack was much more talkative as I moved into more wind-affected areas near treeline--with numerous rumbling collapses--particularly on northeast and east aspects. I dug on a north aspect and found a faceting 1F slab that sits above basal facets and depth hoar and below the early December storm snow, with propagating ECT results on top of the depth hoar. I found a thin layer of surface hoar buried a little less than 20cm below the snow surface. As I moved through more northeast and east aspects, the slab felt stiffer and signs of instability (primarily collapsing) were more prevalent. South and southeast aspects near and below treeline were showing signs of surface warming, with rollerballs observed in steep, rocky terrain.