Vail & Summit County
AvalancheKreston Rohrig · Feb 2, 2020 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Warm and sunny trending to Hot by mid-day. Ridgetop winds were in the moderate range from the west to southwest but weren't doing much to cool sunny slopes.
Snowpack
We dug on an east and west-facing slope to compare layers at the upper end of below treeline or bottom of near-treeline. The east-facing slope was more shallow than the west (130cm vs 175cm), which was a little surprising, but likely due to slope configuration. Despite the difference in snow height, the profiles were similar and both lacked any real serious layers of concern. The only slight action in stability tests from both pits was an ECTN down 30cm (same result in both locations) just below the most recent storm snow. It was hard to tell, but the layer looked to be a mix of near-surface facets and decomposing fragments. Other than that, the structure was quite homogeneous with a supportable mid-pack slab and basal facets that are fairly well bonded. My concern is that in shallower areas where the snowpack is less than a meter or in wind-drifted slabs are stiffer that the snowpack could be more problematic.
Avalanche
We did see plenty of rollerballing on steep rocky slopes that were bathing in the sun. On a couple of slopes Loose Wet avalanches actually gained volume enough to be concerning.