Front Range

Avalanche

Mike Foster · Mar 6, 2023 · Front Range

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Weather

Clear, light winds near ridge line. Approx 22-25F, with periods of intense sun on S-E aspects.

Snowpack

2-6” of new/wind drifted snow. New snow was light and remained cold throughout the day, with areas receiving the most direct sun becoming lightly saturated or developing a thin crust. Aspects with less sun or getting help from the light breeze remained cold throughout the day. Isolated pockets of wind slab were found across all aspects, mainly in the ATL elevation band. Multiple hand shear tests on E-N aspects found a soft slab between 20-50cm sitting on top of a crust with faceting between the crust and newer snow.

Avalanche

Saw what looked to be a cornice fall from the last 24-48hrs on an ATL E facing aspect, approx 12k.