Front Range
AvalancheLucas Mouttet · Feb 6, 2015 · Front Range
Weather
Clear at 6am, partly cloudy from 7am to 9am, mostly sunny from 9am to noon. Temperatures in the upper 30's at 9,500' at Blue Lake trailhead at noon. Temperatures in the high 20's at 12,000' on the ridge to Clark Peak. Winds were steady 40mph+ with gusts to 75mph+ (knocking us off our feet a couple times). They winds were so strong they were carrying marble to golf ball sized ice from the windward side over the ridge at very high speeds (our biggest danger of the day likely!).
Snowpack
Snowpack below TL was unconsolidated early in the morning, and very sun affected below 11,000' in the late morning - soggy even on steep southerly aspects. Above TL was wind affected on all aspects, winds were swirling from all directions aside from right at the ridge line. Most of the snow transport included small grauple (1-3mm), probably getting smaller the more it blew. Lots of wind pillows on lee aspects, but those lee aspects were all over the place, the predominant West wind didn't seem to apply below the ridges (it was blowing from all directions).
Avalanche
Saw one very recent wind slab at 11,500', East facing on an estimated 35-40 degree slope. It was approximately 100 yards across and 100 yards long, with a crown around 30cm (viewed from 1/2mi across the valley).