Vail & Summit County

Avalanche

Duane Poslusny · Jan 16, 2019 · Vail & Summit County

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Weather

Cloudy with moderate snowfall, periods heavy snowfall up to 1 inch/hr. Winds 10-20 from the W at the ridgetop.

Snowpack

Below and At Treeline: 3-4 inches of new snow on top. The 4F windslab from mid-December is rotting into Fist facets and losing strength. Depth hoar to the ground. The old slab collapsed under ski on test slopes, but did not propagate cracks. At treeline, dug a pit and got a ECTN20 at the Mid-December Slab/Depth Hoar interface. At ridgetop there is a reactive and sensitive cornice and wind slab. 10 ft Shooting cracks and slab movement at the the cornice. Skied 20-30 degree North Facing trees to the road.

Avalanche

None seen, but limited visibility.