Details

• Date: 2013/04/10

• Observer: Brian Lazar
• Organization: Forecast Staff, Colorado Avalanche Information Center

Location

• BC Zone: Front Range
• Area Description: From Mt Eppworth south to South Fork of Ranch Creek.

Weather

• Ridgeline Wind Speed: 10-20 mph
• Ridgeline Wind Direction: N
• Wind Loading: Light
• Temperature: 15 F
• Sky Cover: Overcast
• Depth of New Snow: 6 cm
• Depth of Total Snow: 200 cm
• Most Significant Precip Rate: S-1 - < 1 cm/hr
• Weather Description: Mostly cloudy to overcast skies, cold winter-like temperature, and relatively calm except on ridgetop. When brief sunshine did break through the clouds it felt pretty warm very fast with a greenhouse effect, but not enough to really alter HST conditions or promote settlement.

Snowpack

• Snowpack Description: Storm totals around 6 inches near and above treeline. The wind did very little to stiffen the surface snow, but did drift it up to 12 inches deep in near treeline areas.

Snowpack Obsvervation #1 Cracking: None Collapsing: None Persistent Weak Layer: Yes Comments: Wind slabs not a problem here as storm snow fell with little wind, and light winds really only moved the snow into deeper, soft drifts. No cohesion in the storm snow, but could get it to run in small sluffs on slopes 35 degrees and steeper. Deep PWLs still present, but rounding, and not reactive. Still possible to pull out the isolated hard slab, but likelihood is low.

Avalanches

	Date	Location/Path	#	Elev	Asp	Type	Trig	SizeR	SizeD
	2013/04/10  †	Berthoud Pass east side	1	TL	NW	SS	AS	R2	D2
Date: 2013/04/10 (Estimated) Observer: Brian Lazar Organization: Forecast Staff, Colorado Avalanche Information Center Area Description: Driving over the pass I saw a small soft slab that released in the area called Hell's Half Acres (High Trail Cliffs). The slide had a track going into it, and I could not see the bottom of the debris. Landmark: Berthoud Pass east side Average Slope Angle: 40 ° Maximum Slope Angle: 45 ° Elevation: 11000 ft Weak Layer Grain Type: Unknown Average Crown: 36 in Average Width: 15 ft Average Vertical: 250 ft