Vail & Summit County
AvalancheKreston Rohrig · Feb 12, 2021 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Beautiful winter day, cloudy, snowy, and not too windy. 2-3" down low, 4-5" near treeline.
Snowpack
Below treeline slopes are finally developing a supportable slab. This is good for the short-term, but will increase the likelihood of triggering avalanches as we get more snow. The snow below the slab is still super weak and won't support a big load. Near treeline, we found 4-5 inches of new snow on top of a very thick and robust slab. The area where we dug was heavily wind-loaded from previous storms and has capped the preserved weak layers below. With depths of 150-180cm, the weak facets in the mid to lower pack are starting to gain strength. I would still consider these conditions to be the exception and not the norm, and would treat any steep wind-loaded slope with serious caution.
Avalanche
None observed