Front Range

OVC skies with moderate west winds where I traveled. Ridgetop winds were a bit stronger. The temperature was right around freezing. Occasional periods of S-1 to S1 snowfall, while I was in the field, with more consistent S1 as I was leaving the pass. Hs on the Berthoud study plot stake was 17".

Throughout my travels today, I found a weakening slab over basal facets. I dug on a north-facing slope below treeline in an area that was previously affected by wind. The Hs here was 74cm, with a faceting 1F- slab over basal facets and developing depth hoar. I had moderate ECTP results at the slab/facet interface, and PST results 43/100 end. This represents the more or less worst-case scenario on north-facing slopes--previously wind-affected areas where a harder slab formed and is taking a bit longer to break down. Most areas I probed had a much softer slab as well as a shallower snowpack. I found the rain crust that Ian found on the 12th, though it is starting to facet and break down. There is a melt-freeze crust on the surface of southeast-facing features below treeline.