Front Range
SnowpackAustin DiVesta · Nov 6, 2024 · Front Range
Weather
A proper cold day at the top of the Loveland Pass with patchy skies and light to moderate easterly winds.
Snowpack
In my travels today, I found anywhere from 10 cm to 35 cm of snow. While many places still remain bare or have lots of rocks and shrubbery sticking out, the areas that hold the most snow are also the most problematic. I focused mostly on northerly-facing slopes today to find out how the new snow was bonding with the older snow from October. In a wind-loaded slope, I noted two relatively hard layers (4-Finger Hard) that supported your weight on skis. The upper layer cracked under your weight. This broke on a soft (Fist Hard) layer of recent snow that had yet to facet. Snow pit test results were east (ECTP1 x2 @27cm). I found the snow at the ground weak and faceted for 12cm. While this basal layer was not reactive today, it’ll become more reactive as the slab thickens.