Aspen
SnowpackBrian Lazar · Dec 7, 2023 · Gunnison
Weather
Overcast, cool, and windy. Moderate westerly winds with strong gusts were efficiently drifting snow near and above treeline.
Snowpack
The most concerning weak layer is still the mid-November facets 1-2mm in size. This layer is now 4F- in Hand Hardness and is gaining strength. The weak layer is buried around 80-90cm deep under a 60cm thick 1F hard mid-pack slab. The 30cm+ of snow from last weekend has settled to 20cm. This most recent snow rests on small (1mm) preserved near-surface facets. This layer was reactive in snowpack tests, but the overlying slab is still to soft to communicate a failure. This is likely changing by Friday and into the weekend as westerly winds stiffen the surface snow. This could easily develop into a scenario where small avalanches breaking around a foot deep could then step down into the deeper weak layer of concern. Surface conditions ahead of the incoming storm are small near-surface facets on northerly terrain. Any sunny slope now has a thin melt-freeze crust.