Front Range
SnowpackRyan Zarter · Jan 4, 2024 · Front Range
Weather
OVC with temps in the teens and calm winds. Trace of new snow.
Snowpack
Snow surfaces where I traveled today consisted of facets or surface hoar just beginning to get buried by a trace of new snow. Below treeline on southeast to east to north aspects the snowpack was shallow (less than 24" Hs) and almost completely faceted. Near treeline southeast aspects had a deteriorating melt-freeze crust below an inch or so of facets/surface hoar. East and north aspects that had seen a more wind effect had a faceting slab in the upper snowpack that. Digging on a north aspect I found a structure similar to what we've been seeing lately, with an upper weak layer of facets about 20cm below the surface and then a weak interface at the basal facets/depth hoar. Coverage was variable in the Sisters--gunner's right sides are more drifted while gunner's left sides are scoured to the ground in places.