Aspen

Snowpack

Brian McCall · Jan 23, 2013 · Aspen

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Weather

Mild temperatures. Thin scattered clouds during the morning hours. Cloud cover increased to thin overcast by pm hours. Thicker overcast by sunset. Calm to light NW winds at treeline.

Snowpack

HS near treeline averaged 65-70 cm. Other than a few old wind slabs near the ridge top, entire snowpack is made up of faceted snow grains and depth hoar. Surface hoar present on top of the snowpack near and below treeline on all slopes but the steep SE and SW aspects. Found thin, breakable crust at the snow surface on these two aspects. With increasing cloud cover this afternoon, wet snow avalanches were not a concern.