Front Range
SnowpackColin Mitchell · Mar 9, 2013 · Front Range
Weather
Light to moderate snowfall throughout afternoon. Light winds from the north with light blowing snow.
Snowpack
Around 8" of new snow fell last night and throughout the day today. The snow was unconsolidated powder below treeline, and was developing a wind affected layer several cms thick in wind exposed areas near treeeline. The snow fell on a variety of old snow surfaces, a widespread melt/freeze crust below treeline, and old wind slabs and near surface facets near treeline. Below this, the snowpack at our at treeline ESE facing pit location,consisted of several layers of old wind slabs with very thin layers of nsf's between totalling around 140 cm. Height of snow was ~ 200cm. One of these layers, about 40cm down, was reactive to compression tests (CTM SPx4), but did not propagate when tested with an ECT. Under the windslabs was around 60 cm of depth hoar, varying from 4f to 1f hard. This layer also was reactive with compression tests, CTM SC.