Aspen

Avalanche

Brandon Levy · Feb 9, 2021 · Aspen

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Weather

Warm with steady temps around or just above freezing. Light snowfall beginning around 1030 with little to no accumulation. Winds were steady and slightly west southwest with overcast to obscured sky conditions.

Snowpack

The 2/3 crust which is 2cm thick at the summit elevation was barely present at 9600' near the Lone Tree Bowl start zone. It looked like it rained there but not for long and now there is a thin layer of near-surface facets marking that event. The layer of concern remains the 1/19 faceted grains which are further blending into the other tracked weak layers below. All told the facets / depth hoar extend 60cms from the ground with long column tests propagating at the top interface with the overlying snow from the end of January forward. (ECTP22 down 58 cm on 4mm DH).

Avalanche

None observed. Visibility toward Chair was limited.