Vail & Summit County

Avalanche

Alex Blanchard · Apr 21, 2023 · Vail & Summit County

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Observation photo 1Observation photo 2

Weather

Low twenties in the lot, warming up to high twenties by mid-afternoon Surprisingly low wind until 1-2pm Intermittent snow and sun all day

Snowpack

8-10” blower powder on top of the firm snow underneath. Started to consolidate throughout the day as temps warmed up

Avalanche

Intentionally knocked a small chunk of cornice onto the wind loaded east facing bowl next to the weather station. It looked like a portion naturally slid/sluffed out earlier in the morning, but we got the rest to release after this. 2-3” x 50-100’ crown, ran down to the bench. Not exactly surprising, but definitely confirms the wind-slab we expected.