Front Range

Snowpack

markus beck · Feb 2, 2013 · Front Range

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Weather

Blue Bird day with several inches of freshies on the ground. Winds calmed down the previous night so the new snow was little wind affected. Day temps warmed to near below freezing levels (est. 24F). This is a classic situation where a weak snowpack is being tested by powder starved minds.

Snowpack

LOTS OF ACTION ON BERTHOUD PASS TODAY! 2 human triggered avalanches with one person caught but not buried and uninjured. Several recent avalanches observed in and near the area. Some collapsing and shooting cracks observed while skinning. Overall weak snowpack structure being stressed by recent storm and wind loaded snow. Touchy conditions, small to moderate avalanches are likely to be human triggered. We traveled E-N aspects around treeline. Snowpack is made up of large basal facets (F), old df wind slab (P, 1F/4F, new storm slab (F). CT consistently scored VE to M (on isolation to 12 taps), Q1. It seems that if the old windslab is 4F/1F to P and 20cm-60cm thick, slab fracture and propagation is most pronounced. I am rating stability around treeline on N-E as poor.