Vail & Summit County
AvalancheKreston Rohrig · Nov 21, 2018 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Clear and warm with calm winds from the west at ridge top.
Snowpack
The snowpack is old and tired in most spots. Below treeline on sunny aspects, the snow is gone of barely hanging in there. Shady aspects near and below treeline the snowpack ranges from 1-2' deep. The structure is poor and comprised mainly of weak facets throughout. Occasionally there is a small wind skin or melt-freeze crust to top it off. On higher elevation N-E-SE facing slopes you can find all of the above only deeper. Leeward slopes below ridgeline have the deepest snowpack but coverage is spotty and confined to start zones and concave gullies. In more protected areas, the snow surface has faceted and dappled areas are soft enough to ski down. Any slope that turns southerly has developed a hard sun crust. The pit profile shows the deeper layers of concern and the robust early season slab sitting above.
Avalanche
None observed