Front Range
SnowpackNick Barlow · Mar 12, 2018 · Front Range
Weather
Pleasant spring day along the Front Range. Partly-cloudy skies, with passing cumulus/altocumulus. Periodic moderate gusts out of the W, but otherwise light winds. Sticky surface-snow situation as temperatures warmed. Gloppy skins and refreeze on ski bases were fun. Snow never got too warm/wet for wet avalanche concerns.
Snowpack
Feels like spring, but I found concerns in the upper snowpack. There is a layer of near-surface facets ~35cm(down) from the surface. The modest load of recent storm snow was not enough to stress this layer. With a better load, larger avalanches could break at this depth. Mid-pack pencil-hard slab is robust. Very unlikely to disturb weak layers near the ground in this area, but still possible in thinner spots.