Vail & Summit County
SnowpackJason Konigsberg · Mar 18, 2016 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
From noon to 4 PM sky cover generally decreased with a lingering intermittent snow shower. Winds were fairly light with moderate gusts but I did not travel in exposed areas. Settled storm snow was measured at 18" (11,200 ft north aspect).
Snowpack
Most obs were below treeline. Many hand pits found no significant instabilities or significant shears in storm snow. Measured settled storm snow BTL at 18". On north aspects BTL storm snow sits on a mostly faceted pack. Q2 shear at that interface.--- NTL I experienced one collapse on a northerly aspect near the ridgeline. I also triggered a very small wind slab near the ridgelne. It was about 5" deep and was just from snow being currently drifted.--- With skies clearing I got decent visibility and did not note any large avalanches. A few pockety wind slabs is all.--- Wind-loading was light in some place and looked to be more moderate on the higher ridges.