Aspen

Snowpack

Matt Huber · Dec 7, 2019 · Aspen

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Weather

The trip began with clear skies and warm temperatures. Winds were calm but westerly gusts at ridgeline pushed visible plumes of snow into the air sporadically. By noon, the skies had become completely overcast.

Snowpack

At 11,000 feet on a northeast facing slope, the total snowpack depth was 80 cm. This particular slope has 3 visible surface hoar layers. One at the surface, one about 10 cm from the surface and one that sits at about 40 cm from the ground. None are reactive in Extended Column Tests. The basal layer is 30 cm of 3mm depth hoar. Extended Column Tests produced consistent ECTP12-14 at this interface in all pits between 9800 to 11,300 feet on northeast aspects. Shooting cracks were observed that initiated on depth hoar layer