Grand Mesa

Avalanche

Colin Mitchell ยท Mar 14, 2016

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Weather

Pleasant spring-like day. Warm and breezy. Dark-bottomed cumulus clouds were building over the La Sals and the high terrain surrounding the grand valley by the time I left the pass. A couple of graupel pellets were falling, otherwise, no precipitation observed.

Snowpack

Not much snow left on the pass. 22" on the stake, but average HS in the study plot was more like 6". The south side of the pass has only a few patches of snow left, and no avalanche danger. The north side is still holding onto about a foot of moist melt-forms with a thick, breakable crust on top. Full-depth loose wet slides out of the steep timbered terrain on the north side of the pass remain possible, but are becoming more and more unlikely. Otherwise, there is no avalanche hazard to the road, and danger will be rated at NONE shortly.

Avalanche

None observed.