Sawatch
AvalancheRich Rogers · Feb 19, 2025 · Sawatch
Weather
West-Northwest winds wildly moved snow and kept snow surfaces cool near and above treeline, air temps high 20s, few clouds increasing to overcast by late afternoon.
Snowpack
I dug on a Northeast slope near and above treeline. On most planar slopes, new snow slabs have settled to 1-3 feet thick. The surface of these slabs feels soft(F to 4F). The hardness changes to 1F near the bottom of the new slab, which sits on top of 2-3 feet of weak snow. In some areas, you can find hard snow that is 2-4 feet thick. This hard snow lies between the new drifted snow and the older, weaker snow from December 9th.
Avalanche
Near Hartenstein Lake, Above treeline, top loaded East and cross loaded Southeast aspects.