Front Range
SnowpackJustin Swantek · Jan 7, 2021 · Front Range
Weather
The night before, a storm dropped roughly 3-4 inches accompanied by moderate winds. Winds continued throughout the day and continued to transport snow onto E/SE slopes until no snow was available for transport. The sun was out throughout the entire day, but is still very weak and didn't noticeably affect the snowpack.
Snowpack
Below Treeline (BTL), there isn’t enough snow to be of concern. Only SE-N aspects have more than a couple of inches, but all of this is uncohesive and I found no slabs even in clearings. Near Treeline (NTL), the snow is much more interesting. On SE-N aspects, there are pockets where slabs have formed above the weak snow beneath. Generally, wherever I found wind loading, I found whumpfing. This collapsing is still widespread on these slabs, and they are still showing weak results: CT0x2 and ECTP15&17 with clean shears on all tests (Q1). On specific, non-wind affected E aspects, it’s clear the snowpack is starting to heal, but is still reactive (CT 12&13 and ECTP25, all Q2 – see photo of E facing pit). To compare, I dug a pit on the adjacent ridge one week prior. Same aspect, similar wind loading and I got CT0Q1x2 and ECTP12.