Vail & Summit County
SnowpackAndrew McWilliams · Jan 18, 2023 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Snowy, blowy, and cold today. There was no significant accumulation, but there was intense wind transport of the new snow from northwest winds that were moderate with strong gusts. Temperatures stayed in the single digits and skies remained overcast for the day.
Snowpack
There were about 6 inches of low-density new snow today in addition to about 5 inches that fell on Monday. Travel below 10,000 feet was generally supportable and there was about 60-70cm of snow. On the east ridge of Peak One, northwest winds were loading snow onto southerly aspects and there was some cracking within the new snow on steeper wind rolls. Otherwise, I saw no signs of instability. I dug on a southeast and east aspect at about 11,600 feet. The height of snow was about 125-150cm on average and up to 180 in drifted areas on easterly aspects. I probed in a north-facing area and found a height of snow of about 200cm. Snowpits had about 30cm of new snow since Monday. In both locations, there was a mid-pack slab that was One-Finger to Pencil hard above a facet layer 45-60cm deep. More southerly aspects had melt-freeze crusts below the new snow from the warm and sunny weather before this storm. Extended Column Tests had non-propagating results within the new snow and at the interface with the old snow with easy and moderate results respectively. Only the pit on an east-facing slope had an ECT with propagating results. This was after the 27th blow from the shoulder and it failed at the top of the basal facet layer. Compression Test results confirm the ECT results, with easy and moderate sudden collapses within the new snow and at the interface and hard results at the top of the basal facet layer.