Aspen

Snowpack

Matt Huber · Feb 9, 2020 · Aspen

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Weather

Light snow fell most of the trip with 1-2" of accumulation by mid-afternoon. Limited visibility but winds felt light in the valley floor.

Snowpack

Storm snow totals from 2/6-7 were surprisingly deep, 50-60 cm, especially knowing that storm totals were less than half that across the river on Richmond Ridge. The storm snow is resting on a 5-10 centimeter, 1 finger hard layer above a crust facet combination that formed February 3. Extended Column tests produced easy, propagating results (ECTP5) at this persistent weak layer, roughly 65 centimeters below the surface. The snowpack below is easily described as facets and depth hoar intermittently broken up by the remnants of unreactive crusts.