Front Range
Quick reportJordan Osterman · Jan 16, 2026 · Front Range
Weather
Around 5cm of new snow overnight with strong winds out of the west transporting snow below, near, and above treeline.
Snowpack
The height of snow ranges from 50 to 60 cm below treeline and 90 to 100cm near treeline. Below treeline, the snowpack is more consolidated, with a pencil-hard layer of facets sitting in the bottom half of the snowpack and no depth hoar on the ground. Near treeline, the clear nights and cold temps have weakened our shallow snowpack. Boot penetration is to the ground. The persistent slab has become increasingly difficult to find as the entire snowpack facets. The basal facets continue to grow in size, and are now primarily comprised of depth hoar. This layer currently represents the bottom third of the snowpack and appears to be the primary layer of concern.