Front Range
SnowpackIan Fowler · Jan 16, 2024 · Front Range
Weather
Winds were intense; I even put my goggles on, which doesn't happen a lot. Most snow was in turbulent suspension so not loading very efficiently.
Snowpack
Although the snowpack seemed a little calmer than recent days, I did experience many rumbling collapses in areas that had not been traveled in. These seemed to start at the top end of the below treeline elevation band and through the lower portion of the near treeline band. These were full terrain feature wide and would shake small trees. Below the treeline, I dug on a northeast slope and found a melt-freeze crust that seems to be the culprit of most below-treeline avalanches. Compression tests were surprisingly unreactive, but a short cut length on a Propagation Saw Test showed the potential for reactivity. The site of the avalanche was a slope that faced north and measured 32 degrees at its steepest point. The slide released on a layer of near-surface facets about 60cm (2 feet) deep. At the crown, the area loads heavily with wind, but lower down, it quickly becomes shallow and weak, and in these areas, it stepped down to the ground. In the near treeline elevation band a thick firm windslab was quickly developing. This released on isolation on hand shears. This layer could easily be triggered but it is the worry that it will cause a step down to deeper layers that is the bigger issue.