Sawatch
SnowpackJason Konigsberg · Apr 19, 2020 · Sawatch
Weather
Winds were calm below treeline. As snow squalls moved through the area, winds increased near treeline and were quite gusty. Prior to the afternoon snow squalls, temps were warm with breaks of sun. Two inches of new snow from Saturday night.
Snowpack
I looked around for the layer of faceted crystals that has been found in other parts of the Central Mountains. On northerly slopes, at about 35 cm from the surface, I found a very thin layer of very small facets above a knife-hard melt-freeze crust. In some extended column tests, I would get moderate propagating results. The layer is hard to pick out and is not very well distinguished. Regardless, it does propagate a fracture in tests and is something to watch out for. Avalanches will be relatively small in most places but if this structure is found on a wind-loaded slope, the size of the avalanche will be larger and more dangerous.---As for wet avalanches, there was quite a bit of greenhousing today as morning heat was trapped by clouds moving in around noon. The snow surface was moist, but not rollerballing, on all aspects near to below treeline. Afternoon snow squalls kept the wet avalanche problem in check but it was close, and some small wet avalanches were observed off of Star Mountain.