Aspen
AvalancheBrian Lazar · May 9, 2020 · Aspen
Weather
Warm, mostly calm and sunny. There was a slight westerly breeze at ridgeline above 13,000 ft and temperatures stayed fairly cool at that elevation until around noon despite ample sunshine.
Snowpack
20 to 30cm thick surface crust is fairly robust, and didn't show any signs od deteriorating until after noon. Even then, it looked liked it would hold up for the day exepct for in very thin and rocky areas. Continuous snow cover is rapidly disappearing below 11,000 feet. From 11,000 feet to around 12,500 all aspects have seen water to the ground. Average height of snow is around 120cm but there are lots of bare patches. Drifts are of course deeper. Above 13,000 feet, northerly aspects hold the most snow with average height around 130cm. Due north aspects still have dry snow under the surface freeze and dry faceted layers in the upper pack and basal facets near the ground. If you get slightly off of due north there is evidence of melt water infiltration in the upper snowpack, but basal weak layers are still dry on slight northeast and northwest aspects where profiles were dug around 13,500 feet. Other aspects have seen water to the ground even at these high elevations.
Avalanche
A few small wet slab avalanches in steep cliffy/rocky terrain that look a few days old. Otherwise all wet avalanche activity is older and previously reported.