Vail & Summit County
AvalancheJason Konigsberg · Mar 27, 2016 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Strong winds with gusts estimated to be in the forties on 12000 to 13000 ft ridgeline. The wind was drifting snow and forming wind slabs near ridgetop and mid-slope terrain features.
Snowpack
Wind was the big player today creating small but sensitive wind slabs near ridgetop and further down slope on terrain features such as gullies. Some of the slabs of wind-drifted snow were quite dense. Small cornice drops on test slopes released 6 to 12 inch slabs.--- There are very large and dangerous cornices around. I was very careful to spot the place where I wanted to go, from a distance, before approaching the ridge.---Minimal wet loose activity was observed.
Avalanche
Multiple small Wind Slab avalanches. The largest avalanche I observed that occured today was a natural in Deer Creek possibly triggered by cornice fall. Evidence of one notable, but older avalanche, off of the east-side of Independence Mountain. The old crown was at least 500 feet wide and may have ran mid-March.