Front Range
AvalancheJohn Mackinnon · Dec 14, 2014 · Front Range
Weather
Overcast skies throughout the day, light westerly winds in the am increasing to strong westerly winds in the pm. Snowed throughout the day with snowfall rates up to S2 in the afternoon. Observed moderate blowing snow below treeline in the afternoon. Temps cooled as the day went on. When we returned to the TH at 3 pm winds had completely scoured the lot and had created deep drifts behind leeward features.
Snowpack
Observed 12 cm HST at the East Portal TH at 10 am and an HST of 16 cm at 1 pm at 10,000 feet in a sheltered area near Arapahoe Creek. Our groups dug a series of test profiles at 10,000 feet in a mostly sheltered meadow on an ENE aspect. HS ranged from 50 cm to 75 cm and profiles showed about 15 cm of F hard recent storm snow resting on 50 cm of 4F hard faceted grains (FC and FCxr 1.0-2.0 mm.) CT showed progressive compression results within new snow and subtle sudden planar fractures at the new snow/old snow interface, and at another interface up 20 cm from the ground. Also, we quickly dug on a ESE aspect at 9800 feet and found 15 cm of F hard storm snow on a melt-freeze crust. The old snow below the crust was dry---wasn't sure if moist snow from the previous day was actually going to freeze up but it did in all areas we observed.
Avalanche
N.O.