Sawatch

Snowpack

Brandon Levy Brian Lazar · May 8, 2018 · Aspen

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Weather

Clear and warm with increasing westerly gusts around midday. Temperatures in the mid 40s by 11:00 AM at 11,500 ft.

Snowpack

Snow above Independence Pass road continues to melt, especially above Waterhole Grade (south and west-facing slopes from 11,500 to 12,000 ft). Top 5 inches of the snow surface was frozen, but quickly began to soften with morning sun and warm temperatures. Slushy conditions developed by 11:00 AM. Snowpack structure in the West Roaring Fork area (north and east-facing slopes around 12,000 ft) consists of hard slab with several interspersed ice lenses, all sitting on rounding basal facets and depth hoar (striations and angles still barely visible). All layers are either wet or moist. Deep tap tests produce results (DT 25 SC) at the top of the depth hoar layer. Wet slab avalanches breaking on this layer are possible but would be difficult to trigger except for steep, rocky, shallow areas.