Front Range
SnowpackJason Konigsberg · Mar 11, 2021 · Front Range
Weather
A mix of sun and clouds. Breezy at ridgetop. Isolated slopes saw some wind loading while many did not.
Snowpack
I traveled on a few different aspects looking at the upper snowpack structure in anticipation of our upcoming snow. In general, the upper snowpack has weak layers to watch but nothing alarming. South-facing near treeline has a solid crust and is very shallow. North-facing near treeline had a thin, barely detactable crust about a foot down with facets underneath. Northwest near treeline had faceted snow within the top foot of the snowpack but no crust. No propagating results in any extended column test either on upper layers or basal layers. North near treeline showed a strong snowpack with hard to impact basal layers. Northwest-facing had the worst snowpack that I saw today with a generally weak snowpack and 2 mm facets buried only 2 feet down, about halfway down in this 122 cm deep snowpack. Westerlys will be something to watch with more snow and easterly winds.