Front Range

Avalanche

Mike Cooperstein Brian Lazar · Nov 30, 2015 · Front Range

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Weather

Overcast skies with no precipitation. Temperature in the single digits to mid teens. Snow being transported by strong northwesterly winds 20 to 30 mph gusting into the 40 mph range. Cold and windy day with lots of blowing snow.

Snowpack

Highly wind affected. Stiff slabs with mid and lower pack facets on N and E facing terrain. Lots of scoured terrain near and ATL, juxtaposed to heavily wind-loaded areas. Due to the strong winds, low to no visibility and brutal conditions, it was hard to tell what was happening above treeline. Expect the same trend of increasing slab formation to be occurring on north through northeast through east-facing aspects. There is definitely still a Persistent Slab avalanche problem above treeline in shallow areas, around rocks, and at the edges of wind slabs.

Avalanche

No avalanches observed, but there definitely seems like the potential for some isolated natural avalanche activity in steep wind-loaded gullies.