Front Range
AvalancheAustin DiVesta · Feb 26, 2025 · Front Range
Weather
It was a wonderful day in the mountains with wind and dark spring-like clouds.
Snowpack
I initially thought this zone would be super thin, but it has more snow than some of the more recent places I have been. Snow heights were in the 120 cm range for most slopes unless it was a southerly-facing slope at almost all elevations. I saw several recent avalanches on mostly easterly-facing slopes near and above treeline. As I traveled, there was a crust from the recent warming on all aspects below 12,000ft. I got several hard propagating results on Extended Column Tests both below treeline on a southwest-facing slope and near treeline on an east-facing slope. Near treeline, I got a similar Propagation Saw Test score of 45/100 END like many other places, yet this slab was about 3 feet thick. As I dug around, it was difficult to determine which facet layer was from which dry spell. This is less important than all my snow pit stability tests that failed in a layer near the ground.
Avalanche
I saw two recent avalanches that were not previously coded.