Aspen
AvalancheColin Mitchell · Jan 30, 2016 · Aspen
Weather
Warm and windy. Steady winds around 15-20 mph from the west with stronger gusts. Snow surface was too wet to allow for blowing snow.
Snowpack
Warm air finally mixed down to the valley bottoms yesterday afternoon, and the long-awaited wet loose cycle occurred in the Crystal Valley. Cloudy skies and warm temperatures today kept the slides going and the snow surface wet. Most of the activity was full-depth 8-18", and on S aspects. At pass level, the snow was a little cooler, but still moist down at least 20". A lot of consolidation took place last week with the mild weather. Boot pen is only 25 cm in the study plot, and Tuesday it was over 60 cm. The upcoming cold front should help lock up surface layers tonight as the snow moves in, and concerns about weak snow at the storm interface have eased in this location. Rain would be an unwelcome addition to the weather today, but seemed imminent when I left the pass.
Avalanche
Dozens of full-depth wet loose avalanches came out of the forest and cliffs above the highway in the Crystal Valley. Some reached the white line, but none impeded traffic. The majority seemed like they ran yesterday afternoon, but a few were from today.