Sawatch

Avalanche

Ben Pritchett · Feb 26, 2019 · Sawatch

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Weather

Cooker of a day. Temps in the high 40's on eastern side of Monarch Pass. Inversion hanging tough on the west side though, with highs temps only in the teens. Remarkably different weather influences on the snowpack on opposite sides of the pass.

Snowpack

More drifting and loading on easterly-facing alpine slopes today. Recent avalanche activity from Friday/Saturday's shifting winds and loading illustrates the facet layers in the southern Sawatch can still come to life with loading. Warm temperatures and sun are rapidly changing the snow surfaces near and below treeline on E-S-W facing slopes. Even at the summit of Monarch Pass, water was gushing out of the snowpack soaking the roads. Small Neve Penitentes formed in sunny dirty snow.

Avalanche

One new slide that appeared to be a shallow Wet Slab avalanche. Numerous recent Persistent Slab avalanches breaking on drifted slopes near and above treeline.