Aspen
AvalancheBrian Lazar · Mar 1, 2019 · Aspen
Weather
8 inches of new snow at the road at 10Am, with closer to 14 inches higher up. Snowing the entire time we were out (10Am-1:30PM) s-1 to S2, with around 3.5 inches of accumulation during that time. HST around 16 to 18 inches by the time we left. Very little wind, with drifting snow confined to right at ridgeline.
Snowpack
The new snow showed a change sometime in the middle of the accumulation. It appears that the precipitation may have started off with a light drizzle. You could feel the slightest signs of a wafer thin patchy crust just below the storm snow. This transitions to around 8 inches of dense snow that would compress under your skis. The top 8 inches of snow were dry, lower density stellars that shows lots of riming. The upper storm snow looked and behaved like little Styrofoam balls, and would sluff easily. The storm snow showed almost no sign of wind affect, but the denser underlying snow made for an almost instantaneous storm slab.
Avalanche
Natural and intentionally cornice-triggered Storm Slab avalanches today. Avalanches running on slopes steeper than 35 degrees on north through east to southeast-facing terrain. Avalanches breaking around two feet deep, and some large enough to bury or injure a person. Storm snow was sluffing easily and running far.