Sawatch

Warm, partly cloudy, with a gentle breeze.

Most south and west-facing terrain is bare rock, with patches of firm snow plastered into low spots. Northerly slopes are mostly faceted, with less than a foot of snow below treeline, less than two feet near treeline, and wind-ravaged above treeline. There is too little structure for meaningful snowpack tests. Easterly slopes near and below treeline are similar to north. Above treeline, we found patchy firm drifts up to three feet deep immediately below ridgelines. A propagating ECT (ECTP 11) in an east-facing 40-degree start zone popped on a facet layer below a stout melt-freeze crust midway through the snowpack. The incoming storm doesn't look like it will provide enough snow in this area to raise the danger.