Sawatch

Snowpack

Becs Hodgetts · Feb 19, 2016 · Sawatch

Weather

Breezy at ridgeline, no snow left to move in fetches. Pleasant in sheltered areas. Sun beginning to effect surface snow on southern slopes below treeline.

Snowpack

Snow in start zones has stiffened to a 1F slab with warm temps and recent strong winds. A very slight dust layer is visible in surface snow, this slope is below treeline, so distribution is patchy. In any areas not shaded by trees, surface snow was beginning to melt. No results from ECT tests. My snow pit showed a weaker depth hoar layer at the base of the snowpack, which (I think) has been cleaned out from the avalanche path with mitigation work. Some small Wet Loose point releases from rocky areas were observed, these likely released on the 17th. Most steep banks are melting off.