Vail & Summit County
AvalancheJason Konigsberg · Mar 29, 2017 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Cold northerly winds above treeline with calm winds and warm temps at the lower elevations. Today was mostly sunny in Summit Co. It looked like some clouds were hanging around the Continental Divide for a good bit of the day. Overall settled storm snow since Saturday ranged from 4 inches to 12 inches. Variable snow totals due to wind.
Snowpack
Slopes above treeline stayed cold with the exception being steep and rocky, south-facing terrain. Small Loose Wet avalanches were observed in these areas. The snow became progressively heavier and was susceptible to Loose Wet avalanches on all east through south to west facing slopes below treeline. The moist snow would run easily, with some coercion and pushing, on the underlying crust.---In the colder snow near and above treeline the recent northerly winds have drifted snow into relatively thin pencil-hard wind slabs. These slabs of wind-drifted snow were prevalent on easterly and southerly cross-loaded terrain features and directly below ridgelines.
Avalanche
Multiple small Loose Wet avalanches in steep and rocky south-facing terrain.