Sawatch
SnowpackRyan Zarter · Apr 10, 2025 · Sawatch
Weather
CLR skies with an occasional light NW breeze. Temps around 40f.
Snowpack
Above 11,500' the snowpack is still cold and winter-like on northeast to north to northwest-facing slopes. Below this elevation snow surfaces were getting wet on northeast and northwest-facing terrain features, while due north-facing features remained dry. Below about 11,200' snow surfaces were moist to wet by 1:30, with occasional trapdoor-like conditions in shallower areas. I dug on a north-facing slope near treeline and found a winter-like snowpack that was about 50/50 slab over facets--Hs here was about 140cm. There is a melt-freeze crust about 20cm below the surface sitting on top of a thin layer of facets--ECTN results at this interface. There is dust present in the snow just above the crust. I had hard ECTP results at the slab/basal facet interface as well as the interface where basal facets transition to depth hoar.