Front Range
SnowpackRyan Zarter · Apr 24, 2024 · Front Range
Weather
Temperatures were around 40F while I was in the field, with broken skies and light westerly winds.
Snowpack
The snowpack where I traveled in the Sisters today was still cold and winter-like. There was a moistening melt-freeze crust at the surface, however below this snow temperatures remained cold and there was no evidence of water moving down through the snowpack. I had a propagating ECT result in depth hoar near the ground. Below treeline on easterly aspects I found a wet snowpack that offered reasonable support when traveling on skis, however stepping off skis I would punch through to near the ground. The snowpack was a bit more locked up in open areas near and below treeline where radiational cooling helped provide a bit better overnight freeze. I did have a couple of localized collapses in some of these open areas. Above treeline on east to southeast aspects the upper couple of inches of the snowpack were wet, however below this things were still holding together pretty good, making for good, albeit sticky, travel back to the truck.