Front Range
SnowpackAustin DiVesta · Jan 29, 2023 · Front Range
Weather
Somewhat warm temperatures in sheltered areas, but once you moved into more open areas the wind would instantly drop the temperature. Predominately westerly winds, but many terrain-driven winds on small micro features. Visibility was limited for the entire day, with intermittent snow showers.
Snowpack
The Jones Pass area today has about twenty to thirty centimeters of new snow. I only noticed a few minor localized cracking underneath my feet on a switchback, but no apparent signs of unstable snow below or near treeline. I did not get a good visual on the above treeline with clouds and strong winds; however, plenty of snow was drifting below ridgelines. In more open areas near treeline you could feel the snow becoming denser underfoot as you moved around toward the end of the day. In my snowpit on a northeast-facing slope, most of the snowpack was made up of Fist and 4 Finger on the Hand-hardness scale within a snow height of 126cm. I noted some crust around 30cm from the ground, which capped enormous depth hoar crystals(2-5mm). I observed two propagating layers in my Extended Column Tests, one at 85cm from the ground on a layer of near-surface facets (ECTP11) and then at 30cm from the ground below the crust at the interface and depth-hoar (ECTP29). I then moved over to a northwest slope and, with a couple of spot probing and quick hand pits, found an overall weak snowpack. The new snow was bonding well with the older snow. Snow depth was around 145cm to 160cm, and there was a denser layer down 45-50cm from the surface, but then my probe would drop down to the ground after a little bit of resistance.