Vail & Summit County
SnowpackDrew Gibson · Mar 26, 2023 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
The morning was partly cloudy but it deteriorated through the day. Mostly calm but increasing winds through the day. S-1 snow off and on. Temps in the low teens.
Snowpack
Up 30cm of recent snow over melt-freeze crust below and near treeline. The crust was 4cm-6cm thick and breakable in some places. Overall the crust was supportive while on skis and slippery on the up track. Boot penetration was variable. Near treeline on slopes that had been wind loaded the recent snow was bonded fairly well. Hand pits and skin track cuts yielded only minor cracking and shear. In observed areas of wind effect, the drifted snow ranged in depth up to 40cm and was 4 Fingers hard on the hand hardness scale. Above treeline, wind-sheltered south-facing slopes held less snow overall, 10-20cm over a MF crust. Top and cross-loaded slopes held much more, but I was not able to observe the depth safely. Some mild cracking and harder snow were observed on some steep rollovers near ridge top. The cracking was isolated to the areas around my skis and the depth of the recent snow. The harder, wind-effected snow is very firm (Pencil hard on the hand hardness scale) and hollow. I dug a quick pit on a southeast-facing slope near treeline. Overall the melt-freeze crust is stout and holds quite a bit of weight. Below the crust is mostly Fist to 4 Finger hard facets with some slight signs of strengthening(rounding). Removing the crust and conducting an Extended Column Test on a roughly 1m deep snowpack test scores were on the low end of moderate at ECTP12 failing on the depth hoar resting on the ground. the melt-freeze crust is strong and the chance of affecting the deeper layers is slim until it breaks down. The structure of the snowpack is what you would expect after a mid-winter high-pressure bout of sun. The recent snow will not require much sun to become a threat for Loose Wet avalanches given the melt-freeze crust it is sitting on top of. Skiing was surprisingly supportive near treeline. The melt-freeze crust and the deeper recent snow made for a fast but delicate surface.