Aspen
SnowpackColin Mitchell · Dec 24, 2014 · Aspen
Weather
Mostly clear, but thick clouds were moving in from the NW. Winds were light and gusty at 9,500 feet but there were higher winds that were loading Southerly and Easterly slopes above treeline. Temperatures were quite cold in the morning but bounced back nicely by midday.
Snowpack
Average height of snow during the tour was around 60 cm. The storm snow had begun to settle into a 4F slab. Settlement cones 3-4 inches high were visible everywhere. Some isolated cracking was experienced around skis, and one small collapse, around 10 sq meters. Despite repeated hard jumps by my partner and I, we could not trigger test slopes or collapse the adjacent meadow even though PWL had been confirmed in these areas. Study plot profile showed continued rounding throughout the pack, and strengthening of buried weak layers over the past week. No avalanche activity was observed in Lone Tree bowl.