Aspen
SnowpackJewel Campbell · Jan 22, 2025 · Aspen
Weather
The skies were overcast all day and it snowed lightly. The wind was moderate to strong from the north and northwest blowing snow onto south and southeast aspects. Temperatures were around 0 degrees Fahrenheit all day but the wind chill was significantly colder. The visibility varied but I could see the higher peaks in the Elks were getting more intense snow and wind. I did not find propagating results in snowpack tests. I did find a 2' mid-pack slab which was denser near tree line and less dense below tree line.
Snowpack
Overall the snow felt supportable. Around 11,000' I didn't break through the slab when I stepped out of my skis. I preformed extended column tests on northeast through east, through southeast aspects and did not get any results. There is certainly a dense slab about 2' thick in the snowpack, with weaker facets below it from the cold dry spell in December but I was not able to find propagation in this area. It's a bit deeper here than the mountains further north, and the slab is about twice as thick and much quieter. There was no collapsing as I traveled, and the facets underneath the thick slab were beginning to round. At 10,000' and 9,000' I did break through the slab when I stepped out of my skis. The slab was a bit thinner and softer. Extended column tests did not yield propagation results on west through north and northeast slopes. Snow transport was evident at all elevations, with smooth rounded wind drifts and hard wind slabs forming on mostly southeast and south slopes. There wasn't a ton of loose snow to blow around and it was very lightly snowing all day. The wind drifts and slabs were about 4-6" thick at all elevations. On southern slopes near and below tree line there was a melt-freeze crust from last week, only 1" thick at it's thickest.