Aspen
AvalancheBrandon Levy · Mar 30, 2021 · Aspen
Weather
Winds were fairly light and variable until about 1pm when the wind direction shifted to steady northerly and the average speed increased. Obscured cloud cover with periods of very light snowfall was sporadically interrupted by periods of broken skies and no snowfall. The ambient temperature remained fairly cool in the mid-twenties but the greenhouse effect of the filtered sunshine made it feel warm and stuffy.
Snowpack
5-8" of new snow fell straight down on the most recent melt-freeze crust on the east-facing slopes above Conundrum Creek. Despite the greenhouse effect of the weather, the new snow remained dry although it felt heavy under skis after noon. A hasty profile on the slopes above Conundrum Creek revealed average snow depths of around 160-180 cms where these slopes have not slid yet this season. The mid-March faceted grain / melt-freeze crust combination was present with 1.5mm faceted crystals below a pencil hard melt-freeze crust. This persistent weak layer was buried 50-60 cms in the snowpack and produced hard, sudden results in a small column test. The depth hoar at the base of the snowpack was markedly moist and I was able to easily squeeze it into a snowball in my gloved hand. Cornices are largest and more overhanging on north and northeast-facing slopes and are more vertical on the slopes with a more easterly tilt.
Avalanche
Some older debris or chunks of cornice in the paths above Conundrum Creek--nothing too recent. Visibility was limited