Front Range

Skies were FEW with light W winds and temps around -6C while I was out in the field. No new snow. Light wind transport at ridgetop.

Snow surface conditions in the Sisters range from wind-packed to wind-packed over facets to weak facets/decomposing fragments in more sheltered areas. Hs varies from bare ground to a meter or more in drifted areas. My biggest concerns in the Sisters are protected start zones with weak surface snow — primarily Sisters 3 and 4. Sister 6 has been pretty battered by the wind, and the start zones are looking pretty blown out in this path right now. I also poked around a bit on southeast-facing slopes. Above treeline, I found a 1F wind slab sitting over facets above the crust that formed around Christmas. ECTN results on the facets just above the crust suggest the slab isn't as reactive now as it was over the past weekend. Other than localized cracking around my skis on drifted features I saw no signs of instability in my travels today.