Sawatch
SnowpackAndrea Tupy Ron Simenhois · May 2, 2021 · Aspen
Weather
As we were skinning there were increasing clouds through the morning with temps above freezing and light westerly winds. The sky was becoming mostly cloudy by 11am and winds were picking up to the teens.
Snowpack
There was a light freeze the previous night affecting about the top 10 cm of snow below treeline. Shaded areas around 11,500' on south and east were still frozen at 9am when sunny spots were starting to corn up. By 10 the surface was corn. It was still supportive and skiable at 11am between 12 and 11,000' but collapsing in isolated pockets of shallow snow. We dug near treeline on east aspect at about 11,800' and found ice columns down to an ice layer over the lower dirt layer from March 13 at 74cm. Free water was not found in the snowpack below this layer but the rocky banks along highway 82 at 11,700' had free water and lower down 82, the Beeler Grade banks have waterfalls. The snow is melting fast and there are many areas of bare ground above treeline and dust is visible widespread on the snow surface.