Vail & Summit County
SnowpackJosh Hirshberg · Apr 20, 2013 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Obscured to Overcast skies. Convective snow through the day with bursts of S3 and periods of no snow. Below TL wind was light. Above TL Moderate NW wind.
Snowpack
Mid morning found 15cm HST @ 11,000ft. Roughly 20cm HST by the end of the day, but it was settling quickly. Found some areas where where up to 35cm had drifted on top of the most recent dust layer. Near TL @ 11,700 on a W slope measured HST range of 225cm to 85cm. Saw obvious older crossloading and wind features, though fresh windslabs were minimal on W. Felt one large collapse on a W slope @ 11,800ft near a cluster of small trees. It was felt by most group members across a distance of 15m. Got a brief look @ the crown from the Ptarmigan Hill slide across the highway. No other signs of instability. Stayed on slopes under 35°.