Front Range
SnowpackJason Konigsberg · Mar 6, 2016 · Front Range
Weather
High temp of 44 degrees at noon at Bear Lake (9500 ft). Temperatures dropped after noon as cloud cover increased. Clouds were scattered in the morning increasing to overcast in the afternoon. Snow also started around noon with rates of S1 at times but little measurable accumulation. Wind gusts were over 40 mph on exposed ridges.
Snowpack
Below treeline snowpack depths ranged from 1.5 to 2 meters on shady aspects. No distinct persistent weak layers noted.---Near and above treeline is widely variable. Southwest, west, and northwest aspects completely stripped of snow. Other northerly aspects are mostly stripped of snow in upper start zones with mid-slope areas of wind-compacted snow up to 3 meters deep. No weak snow evident from probing wind-drifted zones. East through south aspects is where there is the most consistent snow coverage. These aspects have gone through multiple melt/freeze cycles. ---Snow surface is warm with above-freezing temperatures and cloud cover. Below treeline the snow surface was moist on all aspects in the afternoon but no rollerballing noted.