Sawatch
SnowpackAndrea Tupy · Mar 21, 2021 · Sawatch
Weather
It was overcast and snowing S-1 when I started out afternoon. Within 30 minutes it stopped snowing and the sky became scattered with calm winds. It had clouded up and began snowing S-1 again by 4:30.
Snowpack
New snow on top of a melt freeze crust was intermittently supportive while touring. I dug on northeast and east aspects below treeline. See pit diagrams for further detail. Ice columns were forming on the east with an ice layer over a thin and weak faceted layer on top of a melt freeze crust. Below which was a supportive midpack. The layers were less distinct on northeast with no ic layers or columns. I did not experience any signs of instability while skiing. Upon leaving around 4 pm the new snow from the previous night (5") was moist on south and east aspects.