Aspen
AvalancheBrandon Levy · Feb 3, 2020 · Aspen
Weather
Windy and dark overcast gave way to obscured skies and snow around 1130. Southwest winds were moderate to strong but no flagging or significant wind loading observed on Chair Mountain or other near treeline or alpine terrain when approaching Lone Tree Bowl. Snowfall began at a rate of 1 cm per hour around 1130 and increased to 2cm or about 1 inch per hour by 1 pm. Winds decreased with the snowfall but remained from the Southwest maybe changing a little more Westerly than observed in the morning. The maximum temperature recorded yesterday (2/2/2020) was 50F at the summit of McClure at 8700'. Today, the temperature was near freezing when we arrived but quickly dropped to the upper twenties.
Snowpack
There was a crust on all exposed pieces of terrain we encountered except due North. This melt-freeze crust ranged in thickness from 5cms to 1 cm. Overall the recent weather (minimal precipitation and recent warm temperatures) have consolidated the snowpack in the vicinity of Lone Tree Bowl. There was a general increase in resistance throughout the snowpack and a decrease in sensitivity on all notable persistent weak layers / interfaces. Lower paths have lost a good amount of volume with many anchors now exposed. No wind transport observed in higher terrain likely due to scoured and/ or crusted fetches.
Avalanche
Some very small loose wet avalanches in Hays Canyon from this weekend's warm-up. Mainly to the ditch only