Front Range
AvalancheIan Fowler · Jan 8, 2024 · Front Range
Weather
Temps hovered around the single digits, and it was a rare day as I broke down and got out the hand warmers. Winds were light with moderate gusts from the north and northwest. Sun was hazy as it broke through the bank of cloud sat over the Front Range. Light snow.
Snowpack
Below treeline the snow was completely faceted. Near Treeline, the surface snow was soft still and, in most areas, had not formed a cohesive slab. On a southeast aspect, at 12,000 feet, I found a very weak snowpack, mostly faceted. About 20cm down, there was a weak melt-freeze crust with facets above and below that failed in ECTs on isolation. This is the aspect that is most likely to see maximum loading with additional snow and wind this week and has a concerning structure. On easterly aspects there is a generally solid mid-pack slab but two layers of facets close to the surface are very concerning. It is uncertain if avalanches will step down to the weakness at the base, but I would not rule out an avalanche in higher layers resulting in an avalanche stepping down to the base.
Avalanche
Multiple small Loose avalanches, but I did not observe any crowns. Visibility wasn't great however.