Front Range
AvalancheIan Fowler · Mar 21, 2023 · Front Range
Weather
In the morning winds were calm/light and the sun was being filtered through high clouds. After lunch skies become overcast and light snowfall began.
Snowpack
Ascending through south facing trees the snowpack felt very transitional. It was heavy, wet and punchy with just a couple of inches of new snow. When we were in areas where the trees were less dense there was a melt freeze crust. Snow heights varied from around 100cm below treeline to 180cm on a southeast aspect near treeline to 220cm on northeast aspects. Probing in the snow near treeline the mid-pack was very firm (handle of a ski pole would not penetrate) but there were still some punchy weaker layers towards the base of the snowpack. We dug on east-southeast and north east aspects and in both locations the new snow sheared easily in shovel tilt tests or compression tests but on steep rolls the snow seemed well bonded. This new snow was very low density so this will be something to watch if the next phase of the storm is wet and heavy. In both snow pit locations there were weak layers in the upper meter of the snowpack that were rounding facets. Compression test results were sudden and clean, but both locations had no results in extended column test.
Avalanche
3 small avalanches in the Bethel slide path