Front Range

Snowpack

Spencer Logan · Feb 17, 2011 · Front Range

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Weather

Oscured, though one lull got me good views of Pali in the afternoon light. Strong, gusty southwest winds transporting large amounts of snow. Periods of heavy snow, though intensity decreased in the afternoon.

Snowpack

New snow drifting into soft, isolated windslabs. Some up to 24 inches thick, most under 12 inches. Stiffening on top, with lower density, less wind-effected snow underneath. Not stiff enough, as of 4PM, to propagate cracks very far or break as a slab in tests.

New snow poorly bonded to older snow surface. With the weaker snow sandwiched, stiff new drifts will be reactive.