Front Range
AvalancheAmanda Loughlin · Mar 9, 2024 · Front Range
Weather
Clear skies, temps in the 20s with a light west breeze and snow transport.
Snowpack
Below treeline and near treeline I noticed considerable solar effect on new snow with melt freeze crusts ranging from 1-5cm thick. Throughout my tour, snow was shedding off trees below treeline and I observed settlement cones on east aspect. Near treeline, the snow also depicted wind effect as I noticed wind etched snow and active snow transport. The height of snow (HS) below treeline on southeast aspect ranged from 170-210cm. A snow pit dug on a southeast aspect below treeline 130cm deep showed 1cm of new snow sitting on a 3 cm melt freeze crust over a combination of new snow, decomposing and fragmented particles, rounding facets and rounds. An extended column test (ECT) produced ECTN6 on new snow and a compression test (CT) scored CT6 also at the new snow, resistant planar (RP). A second snow pit dug on east southeast aspect near treeline had HS of 129 and also showed 1cm of new snow sitting on top of 2cm melt freeze crust over new snow, decomposing and fragmented particles, rounds, facets, rounding facets, 2mm facets and a basal melt form. ECTs on this slope scored ECTN11@115cm (new snow) and ECTN20@108cm (at the interface between new snow and decomposing and fragmented particles).
Avalanche
I observed the D3 on South Diamond Peak from 3/6/2024.