Front Range
SnowpackNick Barlow · Apr 16, 2018 · Front Range
Weather
Diffused sunshine before noon, turned OVC for the rest of the day. Breezy for much of the day. Some stronger gusts out of the west N/ATL. It was warm, but needed a jacket ATL due to wind. Wind & clouds kept the surface snow from warming/wetting significantly.
Snowpack
OK freeze night previous, but quick thaw during mid-morning hours. Wet/unsupportable snow was restricted to top 5cm of the snowpack, and only for a few hours. By 1430, the surface snow had refroze into a M/F crust. Last weekend's storm snow has consolidated/settled into a dense 10-20cm slab. No instabilities noted in surface snow. Depth hoar near the ground remains the layer of concern, but it showed signs of strengthening in the area I traveled. There is a strong mid-pack slab resting above this weak layer. No signs of instability or recent avalanches.