Front Range

Snowpack

Spencer Logan · Jan 3, 2019 · Front Range

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Weather

Clear skies. Light winds (for the Front Range) until early afternoon. Then westerly winds picked up and began drifting moderate amounts of snow.

Snowpack


Above Treeline NE-E-SE-S: The snowpack has become the "typical" alpine structure, with several layers of very hard wind slabs and depth hoar at the bottom. Depth and structure varies greatly over short distances. Snow surface is extremely wind-effected

Near Treeline N-NE-E: There are several layers of hard, wind-drifted snow in the middle of the snowpack, depending on localized drifting patterns. They are separated by thin layers of near surface facets. I did not get results in quick test profiles (ECTX). In places, there is a thin, soft windslab on the surface. I found minor cracking and tiny pockets that would break off and slide.

Near Treeline SE-S: Thin suncrust has formed on the surface.