Front Range
SnowpackIan Fowler Austin DiVesta · Mar 14, 2022 · Front Range
Weather
The day started cloudy and overcast by noon if was clear with no clouds. Once the clouds cleared if was a warm calm day with wet snow at the surface.
Snowpack
Below treeline we observed a shallow 80cm snowpack that consisted of facets for the lower half and a facet crust combo close to the surface with 20 to 30cm of new snow on the top. On easterly aspects the melt freeze crust was stout and variably supportive to feet and failed on isolation in column tests. On a northerly aspect the crust was thinner and not supportive with no results in tests. Near treeline we observer the snow on east and north aspects. North aspect had 80cm of snow. The base was weak (4f hard) facets with new storm snow over the top and no crust. 100 yards away to the east in a wind loaded area there was 270cm of snow with a very strong base and no obvious melt freeze crust although there was a layer of firm snow, about 35cm down, that looked like water may have helped cluster the grains. The surface had already begun to form a new melt freeze crust. The area we traveled in was part of the burn area from the East Troublesome fire so observations below tree line might be a little skewed by the lack of foliage.