Front Range

Avalanche

Mike Cooperstein · Feb 1, 2020 · Front Range

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Weather

Temperatures started in the high teens and warmed into the mid twenties under mostly cloudy skies. Winds averaged in the 10 to 20 mile per hour range with gusts in the mid 30's. Winds shifted from northerly to westerly as the day progressed.

Snowpack

The snowpack was more deeper and more stable in many areas we traveled than other places in the Front Range zone and than I expected when I did my morning trip plan. Thin areas were mostly faceted with little slab at all elevations, but deeper areas were pushing 200cm. We found a stiff mid-pack slab on south and southeast-facing slopes that made it difficult to affect the depth hoar that is slowly strengthening, but is still there.

Avalanche

We saw a handful of small, shallow point releases from below east-facing cornices in Current Creek and Second Creek.