Aspen
Avalanchetim mutrie · Jan 23, 2016 · Aspen
Weather
Cold to start, warming through the day. Mostly clear, with notable and gusty winds up high.
Snowpack
Evidence of wind effects on exposed ridges and features, more prominently so the higher and more exposed, and textured and scalloped snow elsewhere where there was no such texture from a day before. Probed to depths up to 160cm on shady N aspect at 10,900 feet. Some sun zipper crusts on S, SE and SSE aspects. We encountered very large, very interesting post-modern drifts and cornices on ridges, and non-reactive windslab and wind board near and along ridges. No cracking, no collapsing, no whoompfing or other signs of instability. High-quality dry snow found in sheltered N aspects.
Avalanche
One recent natural avalanche observed, triggered from apparent cornice fall: N to NE aspect, very steep cliff-bandy face, crown approx. 150-200 feet wide, ran approx. 800 vertical.