Aspen
SnowpackJewel Campbell · Feb 20, 2024 · Aspen
Weather
Temperatures were on the warm side of freezing, light wind from the southwest all day with moderate gusts. Skies were overcast and I could see the storm moving in from the southwest. Snow was light for most of the morning and heavy by the early afternoon above 10,000'. As I lost elevation and returned to the truck the snow turned to graupel, then almost to rain.
Snowpack
I found a mixture of surface forms: stellars, columns, plates and about 8cm of snow accumulated during the time I was out. The snow was very slightly falling to the east aspects but no significant transportation. East through south through west aspects had a 2-4cm crust that locked everything in place, in the open and in the trees. Edging slightly north on east and west aspects the snow was immediately loose and available for wind transport. The layer of surface hoar from the beginning of Febrary was buried 40cm down and beginning to round, however the layer scored PST 22/100 End and was developing a thin layer of facets above it. The whole snowpack was a mixture of facets with a soft slab on top of the buried surface hoar, and a stiff slab below it on top of depth hoar.