Front Range
SnowpackMax Strotbeck · Dec 4, 2025 · Front Range
Weather
Obscured and overcast skies becoming broken by afternoon. Moderate to strong southwest winds and intense snow transport. Temperatures in the single digits to low-teens, but feeling near-to-below zero near-and-above treeline with wind chill. No new snow.
Snowpack
Below treeline, I found the height of snow to be 28-48cm and ski penetration about 15cm. The newer snow that has fallen since Thanksgiving made-up the bulk of the depth, and was unconsolidated and very low in hardness. Basal facets were apparent but there was less evidence of mature depth-hoar, which I’ve found commonly in the Cameron Pass area in previous seasons. Above treeline where wind had drifted snow, ski penetration was about 5cm while boot penetration was near or to the ground. In some areas the height of snow approached 75cm. While I did find some firmer, wind-drifted snow above softer snow in this area, I did not experience any instability while traveling and quick hand pits did not shear easily. I didn’t find much of a wind slab problem.