Vail & Summit County
AvalancheJason Konigsberg · Feb 17, 2018 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Windy at ridgetop today with calm to light winds at lower elevation. The wind did a good job building hard and sensitive cornices. From our observations the wind did not form slabs of wind-drifted snow on slopes.
Snowpack
On a westerly below treeline slope we found a a 1 meter snowpack with a 70 cm mostly one-finger hard slab over faceted snow and depth hoar. ECTP25 40 cms from the ground. On an east-facing near treeline slope the snow depth was 147 cms. A 4 foot thick slab sits over facets and depth hoar. ECTX and PST 35/100 END in tests. There is a mid-pack faceted layer approx. 60 cms down but no results in ECT.---No collapsing or cracking observed.
Avalanche
Most of the avalanches that we came across on our ski tour were old and likely from early February. Recent avalanches were observed in Shrine Bowl (documented in a separate field report and south of Beaver Creek in West Grouse Creek.