Front Range
SnowpackNick Barlow · Mar 29, 2017 · Front Range
Weather
Passing low clouds throughout the day, broken by periods of brilliant sunshine. Light breeze increased to moderate around 0130, out of the N/NW. Definitely jacket and glove weather ATL around 12,000 feet.
Snowpack
Upslope low pressure came in with very little wind. The high peaks are painted along the Front Range, but storm snow is generally less than 8 inches. The new storm slab was right-side up, and relatively dense and plaster-like. Bonding at the new interface was good. North and East ATL slopes were top or cross loaded, but column tests, hand pits, and ski cuts would not produce a clean shear or propagate a fracture. Older MF crust (down ~40cm) was breakable, but NSF underneath were rounding. Departing the trail head, a few roller balls off steep solar slopes, but no signs of wet avalanche activity. Some active wind loading in the alpine, but dense nature of the new snow was not transporting or drifting efficiently.