Front Range

Scattered skies with temperatures near freezing. Light west winds that turned moderate above 11,000 feet on the ridgeline. No new snow.

On east and southeast slopes near-treeline, the height of snow was 145-180cm. Surfaces were not faceted, and on southeast slopes were moistening to the point of being able to make a snowball. I found the weak layer of concern to be about 35 cm down- faceted snow on east aspects or rounding facets beneath a thin, weak crust on southeast aspects- below a mostly 4-finger hard slab. In extended column tests, I saw fractures on this weak layer with moderate to hard taps, but no propagation.