Sawatch
SnowpackKreston Rohrig · Jan 1, 2018 · Sawatch
Weather
Mostly clear day with clouds increasing in the afternoon. Calm winds with the occasional "puff" at ridge top.
Snowpack
Below-treeline, the snowpack remains soft and faceted. In open areas, the occasional "wind skin" was observed. No stiff slabs thicker than a few inches. No cracks or collapses. Near-treeline and above, the snow cover is less continuous and very wind affected. Most areas have seen significant wind scouring. Small pockets of hard wind-slabs were observed in many cross-loaded features. The slabs were only a few inches thick and only covered a small portion of the slope. Below the surface, there is a mixed bag of facets, depth hoar and old crusts.