Front Range
AvalancheRyan Lewthwaite · Apr 1, 2020 · Front Range
Weather
A warm afternoon with 42F degrees. The clouds were scattered and a light west wind with no blowing snow.
Snowpack
Warm temps and sun were melting the surface snow and loosening grains. Moist snow and water was found pooling above a melt-freeze crust 15cm deep. At 29cm deep a melt-freeze/ facet crust combo was my layer of concern. With hard force this thick layer has a low potential to propagate fractures in the overlying soft slab (ECTP23@121 & PST73/100End@120). I found soft isolated pockets of wind drifted snow above treeline but they were unreactive. The clouds and light winds helped keep the surface snow cooler, but roller-balls and small loose wet avalanches were observed.
Avalanche
Loose wet avalanches were observed in steep terrain. The warming of rocks helped promote these small avalanches.