Front Range
SnowpackRyan Zarter · Mar 20, 2021 · Front Range
Weather
Scattered to broken skies throughout the day, with southwest winds gusting into the 40s. Temperatures were above freezing the whole time I was in the field. Intermittent, moderate blowing snow was observed with stronger gusts along high ridgetops.
Snowpack
Below Treeline: On south to southeast aspects, the upper 5cm or more of the snowpack was wet, with the 15cm or so below that moist. Near Treeline: On southeast to east aspects, the upper 2cm of the snowpack was moist to wet, with 10cm or so of moist snow below that. The winds were helping to keep things drier here than below treeline. North aspects remained cold and dry. Above Treeline: The wind kept snow surfaces on southeast to east aspects dry, except near rock outcrops. On southeast aspects there was a 2cm thick MFcr that formed in the past couple of days. Today it remained dry, however the 10cm of snow below this crust was moist. Cold snow below that. North aspects above treeline remained cold and dry.