Sawatch

Snowpack

Becs Hodgetts · Apr 25, 2019 · Sawatch

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Weather

Warm with very little wind.

Snowpack

We began skinning just before 9 am. Snow at 10200' was already soft (not surprising when the overnight low at the nearby snotel was 38F). We continued up to 11500' in the hopes that the wind may be keeping the snow surface cool. This was not the case and on this north facing slope the snowpack was est 50-100cm deep, isothermal, with wet grains to the ground. We observed loose wet rollerballs and turned around to descend. We noted a thin rain crust and graupel on the surface from the last 24hrs.