Sawatch
AvalancheJason Konigsberg · May 29, 2024 · Sawatch
Snowpack
Despite above-freezing overnight temperatures, clear skies resulted in good refreeze of the snow surface at all elevations. Above treeline, the melt-freeze crust under the softening snow is firm and thick. On slopes without recent new snow, the top inch of snow is softening into a corn-like substance. On slopes with recent snow, the snow is still in a winter-like state (not melt forms) and is moistening as it heats up. We observed some rollerballing on the steepest, rockiest southerly slopes, and recent small avalanches on northeast-facing slopes. Above treeline the overall snowpack stability is good. I would be careful in the steepest, rockiest, sunniest terrain for small wet avalanches running on the stout crust. This issue will improve, we are still seeing overnight re-freezes in the alpine, as additional melt-freeze cycles help to consolidate the new snow. Near treeline the snowpack was becoming unsupportable on southerly slopes on our descent at noon. This is late for a springtime descent but we had no intention of traveling in steep terrain at this point in the day. The upper crust was 15 cm and still frozen but as it softened it was collasping on wet snow snow beneath. The ~15 cm melt-freeze crust is acting like a slab over the softer, wetter snow beneath. Beneath the approximately 20 cm of wet snow is consolidated spring-like snowpack.
Avalanche
Small wet avalanches in the area. Three of them occurred sometime between noon on Tuesday and noon on Wednesday as I traveled in this area on Tuesday and they were not there. I also noticed a recent small wet slab. I don't know when it occurred.