Aspen
AvalancheDylan Craaybeek · Apr 16, 2023 · Aspen
Weather
Cool morning rapidly warming by noon (28F at 7:00 to 61F at 12:00 at the trailhead). Not a cloud in the sky with moderate, cold winds coming from the west along the ridgeline.
Snowpack
A generally stable, springtime snowpack exists around Highlands Ridge. Southerly slopes saw liquid water throughout the entire snowpack creating a mostly homogenous snowpack consisting of melt forms and melt-freeze crusts (MFcr). Northerly slopes above around 11,000 feet saw liquid water penetrate the top 50cm or so of the snowpack but not much deeper. The dust layer is now a thick MFcr supportable to the weight of a human and there is a spatially variable ice layer around 10cm below this crust layer where the water pooled on northeast-facing slopes near the treeline. The dust crust is roughly 15-20cm below the snow surface on most northerly slopes right now but that will quickly decrease with rapid settlement during warm temperatures and sunny days. Sunny, south-facing slopes had wet snow surfaces by 10:00 in the morning even at higher elevations.
Avalanche
Observed numerous avalanches from the April 10-13 wet avalanche cycle coded in other observations with the correct locations. Triggered numerous small Loose Wet avalanche that all slid on the dust crust buried anywhere from 5-20cm below the snow surface.