Sawatch
AvalancheColin Mitchell · May 9, 2017 · Aspen
Weather
Sunny in the morning, but clouds and thunderstorms moved in by noon. Moderate SE winds at ridgetops and on the pass. Light snow began at ~12:00 pm, and visibility dropped to about a half a mile. Thunder could be heard in the distance.
Snowpack
Not much change overnight, with just a trace of new snow. Warm temperatures in the morning had already wetted the snow surface by 10 am. Several cm of wet snow topped a thin crust formed over the weekend with 3 cm of wet melt forms between the crust and colder snow below. A got a couple of tiny collapses from this crust during my tour. Colder temperatures over the next couple of days should help to stabilize this weakness. No new avalanche activity was observed despite warm temperatures yesterday and this morning. By afternoon, clouds and winds were cooling surface layers, and they were starting to stiffen.
Avalanche
No new avalanche activity observed