Sawatch

Snowpack

Jason Konigsberg · Dec 1, 2019 · Sawatch

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Weather

Winds were calm to 12,500 feet which was as high as I got. Nice day with temps warming into the twenties. Some high clouds moving in from the southwest by the end of the day but otherwise clear.

Snowpack

Stiff wind slab near and below treeline. Westerly winds crossloaded northerly and southerly slopes with all easterly slopes seeing new thick and hard (1F) slabs at ridegtop as well. Not much snow left on any west or northwest-facing exposed slope. Cracking and collapsing observed on northerly and east facing slopes that I traveled on. These signs of instability were only in wind-loaded areas. In areas where there wasn't a stiff slab, cracking was isolated and the whole snowpack is very soft.