Front Range
AvalancheJustin Swantek · Mar 2, 2021 · Front Range
Weather
Weather was clear and calm. It was -8F in the morning, but warmed up into the low 20s above treeline and mid 30s below treeline. The intense sun made if feel very much like Spring is here.
Snowpack
BTL consisted of unconsolidated facets except in very localized spots that had small slabs above these facets. NTL, slabs were larger and more connected, though still resting on buried facets. I observed a few whumpfs on smaller/thinner slabs, confirming that the weak snow structure does still exist. The first avalanche I observed was on a NE slopes NTL (R2D1.5), which appears to have broken to the ground as a result of wind loading. ATL, there is only continuous snow in wind-sheltered areas (mostly SE-NE); I observed a small avalanche (R1D1) on a steep E facing slope at 12,700, though this one did not break all the way to the ground.
Avalanche
I observed 2 older (presumably) natural avalanches. The first was NTL (11,900') on a windloaded, NE facing slope that was roughly 39 degrees at the crown (R2D1.5). It broke upper/mid slope and broke to the ground. It's hard to say when it went, but I would guess sometime in the last week given how distinguished the debris is despite the strong winds the past couple days. The second was ATL (12,800') that broke on a steep (roughly 42 degrees) E facing slope, well below the ridge (R1D1). This slide did not break to the ground, and appears to have slid in the past couple days.