Grand Mesa
SnowpackBrandon Levy · Dec 20, 2018 · Grand Mesa
Weather
Calm with a FEW high Cirrus. Temperatures climbing into the 30's.
Snowpack
Recent weather has significantly reduced the volume of snow in the Cliffs. The start zones in the more exposed places appeared wind hardened. Near the brow of the Cliffs there was rimed surface hoar on the surface which was un-rimed in the more sheltered locations. The surface and near surface is composed of weak near-surface facets while the mid-pack slab is significantly weakened since last roadside obs on 12/13/18. At that time the weak layer (DH/Crust combo) was propagating in long column tests from the elbow. Today, propagation was observed with three taps from the shoulder but simultaneous slab fracture occurred. There were a few isolated collapses on the flatter terrain near the weather station.