Aspen
AvalancheMatt Huber Brandon Levy · Feb 20, 2020 · Aspen
Weather
Sunshine and warm temperatures. The day had a very distinct early spring feel to it. The sun is high enough now its a good idea to start considering surface warming with any new snow followed by clear conditions.
Snowpack
The overall snowpack depth at 11,600 feet on a southwest-facing slope is about 1.5 meters.The storm snow that has fallen since the first week of February makes up about half of the entire snowpack, and is generally supportable and not showing obvious signs of instability like shooting cracks. The bottom half of the snowpack is completely faceted with 3-5mm depth hoar near the ground. The February 3 interface is the most worrisome layer, sitting right in the middle of the snowpack, still within reach of backcountry users. The interface is visibly obvious but stubborn, Extended column tests produced no standard results, propagation saw tests produced PST 43/100 (end) down 75 cm
Avalanche
Several large to very large avalanches likely ran during the February 7-8 storm with debris barely visible under more recent snowfall. West Roaring fork hit Highway 82, placing significant debris on the road. Two natural wind slab avalanches released above treeline on north northwest-facing slopes during the wind event February 17. Obvious signs of surface warming are beginning to show, with small loose wet avalanches and possibly some fresh cornice fall triggering small slabs below.