Grand Mesa
AvalancheDylan Craaybeek · Feb 25, 2025 · Grand Mesa
Weather
Quite warm, above freezing all day and mostly sunny with a moderate breeze along the top of the Grand Mesa.
Snowpack
The warm temperatures have notably impacted this area, consolidating the 2.4 inches of snow water equivalent [SWE] (manually measured in a snow profile and nearby Snotel sights showed an increase of 2.2" of SWE during the last storm) into a 4F to 1F hard (on the hand hardness scale) slab about 12 to 16 inches thick. Most slopes, except for some steep near treeline north-facing slopes, have melt-water tunnels. Below around 9000 feet, the snowmelt is even more pronounced, with liquid water pooling in concavities and most slopes with wet to moist snow from top to bottom. Although the slab on north-facing slopes was moist, the persistent weak layer of concern, the January drought layer, is still dry. This persistent weak layer shows clear signs of rounding but is composed of such well-developed facets that it will likely remain a concern until it sees notable liquid water and probably a Wet Slab avalanche cycle. Snowpack tests showed a thin but cohesive slab that is easy to trigger and easy to propagate (see SnowPilot profiles).
Avalanche
Observed an old, remotely triggered avalanche on a northeast-facing slope below treeline and one or two old slab avalanches likely triggered by cornice falls along the mesa rim just east of the Rapid Creek Reservoirs. The rider-triggered avalanche is coded here: https://avalanche.state.co.us/report/9d62cccc-54e4-4bce-89b9-d49570bece88