Front Range
===========

Current Keywords: CONSIDERABLE, MODERATE, avalanche cycle, avalanche danger, cornices, 
crust, crusts, facet, faceted, facets,  settle, weak layer, weak layers, wind drifts, 
windslab, windslabs

                 Issued 12/26/2008 3:43 PM by Spencer Logan

   Weather Discussion

   The Christmas storm will begin to wind down this afternoon. The
   southwest flow is weakening. Snow will continue through the night, but
   the driver will be cold air wedging its way in from the north. The
   Aspen zone and the northern side of the North San Juan zone will see
   the most benefit of this combination, but we're talking additional
   inches of snow, not feet. Flow turns northerly and brings in a cold,
   dry airmass that will supress snowfall by mid-day Saturday. The snow
   free break might be short. Snow may return Saturday in the form of a
   weak, unorganized system on northwesterly to westerly flow.

   Weather Forecast

   Fields           	Friday Night     	Saturday         Saturday Night
   Temperature (°F) 	-5 to 0          	5 to 10          0 to 5
   Wind Speed (mph) 	15 to 25         	20 to 30         20 to 30
   Wind Direction   	WNW              	NW               WNW
   Sky Cover        	Mostly Cloudy MC 	Mostly Cloudy MC Mostly Cloudy MC
   Snow (in)        	1 to 4           	0 to 1           0 to 1

   Snowpack Discussion

   The Christmas storm was the latest in a series. Once again the Front
   Range was on the margins. We picked up a few inches of snow Thursday
   night and Friday. The storm, like previous storms in the series, was
   sufficient for a widespread avalanche cycle. Instead, each storm pushed
   the snowpack close but not over the breaking point. Snow-free days
   allowed the snowpack to settle in and partially adjust to the load.

   At a minimum you can expect sensitive wind drifts and cornices formed
   in the storm snow. You will find them on northwest, north, northeast,
   and east aspects near and above treeline. Popping out a new windslab
   may get older weak layers to fail, too. There is a stack of  recent
   windslabs from the earlier storms. There are deeper weak layers of
   concern. You can find layers of faceted snow near hard crusts in some
   areas, and a weak layer of basal facets throughout the zone. An ice
   crust within the basal facet layer has been particularly problematic.

   The areas where you can trigger an avalanche on one of these old, deep
   layers is slowly decreasing, but you can still trigger a large,
   dangerous avalanche if you find the right slope. Use all of your
   avalanche skills to evaluate the snowpack on each and every slope
   before you cross it. Remain skeptical of slopes that face north through
   east even if they initially appear to be stable.

   Avalanche Danger 
   
   The avalanche danger for the Front Range zone is CONSIDERABLE on
   NW-N-NE-SE aspects near and above treeline and MODERATE on other
   aspects. Below treeline the danger is MODERATE on all aspects.