Front Range
AvalancheNick Barlow, Mike Cooperstein · Jan 3, 2018 · Front Range
Weather
Pleasant January afternoon, with passing cirrus and alto cumulus standing lenticular clouds over the Continental Divide. Slight west breeze at ridgetop, otherwise calm and warm.
Snowpack
The snowpack is thin and wind-affected in this portion of the Front Range zone. Snowmobile road was nearly dirt at lowest elevations. BTL snowpack was between 30-60cm, and composed nearly entirely of facets and depth hoar. NTL, basal facets and depth hoar were capped by brittle slabs of wind-affected snow. Did not observe HS more than 80cm at any elevation, with the exception of wind-drifted pockets and cornice features.
Avalanche
Older, wind-buffed crowns and D1-D1.5 debris from 3 or 4 avalanches, which ran during the holiday 2017 cycle. Some may have been cornice-triggered. Large cornice sections remain at ridgetop.