Sawatch

Snowpack

Stewart Birmingham ยท Jan 7, 2015

View on map

Weather

Temps approached 30F, mostly overcast with light SW winds averaging 11mph with gusts to 25, temps ranging from 20-30F depending on aspect/elevation. Test profile conducted at 11,670' on an E-facing aspect near treeline.

Snowpack

11,670' E-facing near treeline. No new snow but slope showed clear signs of previous wind-loading. Test profile revealed multiple persistent weak layers and large faceted layers with results of CTM15/ECTH25 at surf-75cm and STT broke at surf-14cm. We found a layer of buried surface hoar at surf-75cm with most grains measuring 2cm long. The large layer of depth hoar at the bottom of the snowpack was of great concern as well and fractured over a few undocumented tests performed in prior pits.