Avalanche concerns on Grand Mesa center on shallower locations below about 10500' or thin, rocky areas where the December Drought Layer (depth hoar) can still be influenced by the weight of a skier or rider. Concerns in the avalanche paths above State Highway 65 are confined to new snow problems. A layer of near-surface faceted grains that were buried by snowfall on March 3rd produced easy propagating extended column fractures when tested on March 5th. At the same location today, this layer produced non-propagating results (ECTN12 down 31 on rounding faceted grains size 1mm).

I targeted a shaded, sheltered north-facing slope at 10600' on the north side of the Grand Mesa

Grand Mesa near the Skyway Weather Station

Warm with scattered cloud cover and light wind from the south.