Grand Mesa
AvalancheBrandon Levy ยท Dec 30, 2019
Weather
Overcast skies becoming broken around midday. Light wind from the South and cold temperatures in the low teens.
Snowpack
Douglas received almost 2' from 12/24 thru 12/28. Snow fell on mostly bare ground in the Headwall and shallow older snow in the more Southeast facing Pipeline Face. The storm snow is right-side-up with a favorable density / resistance profile and no failure in a shovel tilt test. Where there was older snow like in Pipeline Face and the North side cutbanks the storm buried depth hoar and long column tests propagated at the interface (12/24/19)--ECTP12 down 33 on 3 mm DH above Pipeline Face. Anchors are still visible in Pipeline Face. The snow surface is wind textured in the Headwall which should limit LDa sluffing with solar input. Snow depth at the roadside plot is 27". Evidence of both North and South winds on the ridge with some localized (10') collapses and associated cracking on the North facing slopes when approaching the obs location.
Avalanche
Plow operators reported some small AM with grading operations at the North side cutbanks during and immediately following the Christmas storm