Front Range
SnowpackBrian Lazar · May 12, 2011 · Front Range
Weather
Mostly cloudy to overcast, snowing S-1 to S1 on off all afternoon. Gusty winds from N to NW
Snowpack
18 inches of storm snow had settled to 14 inches or so. Snow was cold and fairly low density, like winter powder. North to northwest winds were blowing strong and moving lots of snow onto south through southeast aspects. Soft windslabs were forming above treeline, but cracking did not propagate much beyond the ski tips. Below treeline, no slab formation by 2pm. Only surface sluffing. The storm snow fell onto a moist to wet snow surface. There is a crust about 3 inches thick about 1.5 to 2 feet down on all aspects near and below treeline, but the crust is wet. Able to easily punch the grip if a ski pole through it, and in some place could poke a finger through it. Below the crust is wet snow. Layering has mostly disappeared in the layer below the crust. The snowpack is holding water above 11,000 feet and has not really begun draining.