Details

• Date: 2015/01/26

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

Location

• BC Zone: Front Range
• Area Description: Berthoud Summit into Current and 2nd Creeks

Weather

• Ridgeline Wind Speed: Calm
• Ridgeline Wind Direction: N
• Wind Loading: None
• Temperature: 38 F
• Sky Cover: Clear
• Depth of Total Snow: 150 cm
• Weather Description: very warm, calm, and totally bluebird.

Snowpack

• Snowpack Description: Surface snow became moist at all elevations on all but northerly aspects by mid-afternoon. No signs of recent instability. Numerous small (D1) wet loose avalanches on steep S and e facing slopes near and below treeline, mainly initiated near shallow spots and rock outcroppings

Snowpack Obsvervation #1 Cracking: None Collapsing: None Persistent Weak Layer: Yes Comments: the overlying slab has mostly faceted out. Snowpack mostly facets from top to bottom. In some spots ski pen would go to the ground. Top 5-10cm of snow was moist by afternoon.

Snowpack Obsvervation #2 Cracking: None Collapsing: None Comments: stout crusts a few centimeters down, about 2 cm thick and supportable in most places.

Snowpack Obsvervation #3 Cracking: None Collapsing: None Persistent Weak Layer: Yes Comments: top 5-10 cm is NSFs. Evidence of small round of wind slabs (~1ft thick) near ridge lines from earlier in the week. Mid pack slab is pretty stout and stiff. Not really faceting away, and don't think it will. Ski cuts produced no results on steep rollovers. The areas where you might trigger a larger slab seem isolated and trending towards unlikely if not there now.

Avalanches

• Avalanche Description: a few old wind slabs on N and E facing steep slopes ATL. Confined to just below ridgeline, and looked 2-3 days old.

	Date	Location/Path	#	Elev	Asp	Type	Trig	SizeR	SizeD
	2015/01/24  †	Berthoud Pass west side	1	>TL	NE	SS	U	R2	D1.5
Date: 2015/01/24 (Estimated) Observer: Brian Lazar Organization: Forecast Staff, Colorado Avalanche Information Center Area Description: NE face of No Name Peak Landmark: Berthoud Pass west side Average Slope Angle: 38 ° Elevation: 12300 ft Average Crown: 12 in Average Width: 50 ft Average Vertical: 100 ft
	2015/01/24  †	Berthoud Pass west side	1	>TL	E	SS	U	R1	D1.5
Date: 2015/01/24 (Estimated) Observer: Brian Lazar Organization: Forecast Staff, Colorado Avalanche Information Center Area Description: Current Creek Headwall Landmark: Berthoud Pass west side Average Slope Angle: 40 ° Elevation: 12100 ft Average Crown: 12 in Average Width: 50 ft Average Vertical: 200 ft
	2015/01/26  †	Berthoud Pass west side	10	<TL	E	WL	N		D1
Date: 2015/01/26 (Estimated) Observer: Brian Lazar Organization: Forecast Staff, Colorado Avalanche Information Center Area Description: numerous small wet loose slides and roller balls and S and E aspects near and BTL Landmark: Berthoud Pass west side

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