Front Range
SnowpackMike Cooperstein · Apr 20, 2021 · Front Range
Weather
Clouds were pretty thick in the morning and temperatures remained cold most of the day. Clouds broke up around 1:00PM and temperatures warmed a few degrees above freezing. Winds were calm out of the south and southwest at the ridgetops.
Snowpack
The snow remained dry on high elevation northerly and easterly-facing slopes. The snow surface on southerly-facing slopes was moist late in the day. You could make a snowball, but it never got to the point where you could squeeze free water out of it. There is a facet/crust combo buried 12-18 inches deep on north, northeast, and easterly-facing slopes. There hasn't been a lot of wind loading in this area over the last few days, which is a bit rare. The snow above this weakness is composed of precipitation particles in various forms. This layer is pretty widespread, but without a slab it isn't a problem. Be careful if you find areas that have been wind loaded. You will be able to trigger avalanches that break on this layer if you find a slab.