Front Range
SnowpackBrian Lazar · May 11, 2015 · Front Range
Weather
cool and very windy at ridgetop. Temperatures began to warm noticeably around 11am. Few clouds.
Snowpack
16-18" of recent storm snow. Cold dry and wind affected snow for the top half of the storm snow with the lower half denser. All this sitting on a thin but supportable melt freeze crust. Lots of wind blown snow today with intense loading on S and E aspects and in cross-loaded terrain features. Rapid cornice formation taking place. Some cracking several feet beyond ski tips in wind-loaded pockets. The potential for facet formation with the newer cold snow over wet snow. Also, with warm this week wet avalanches will become likely as recent storm snow warms up for the first time.