Vail & Summit County
AvalancheKreston Rohrig · Jan 3, 2019 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Bluebird day with some very interesting lenticular clouds forming over the higher peaks. Pleasant at ridgetop with calm westerly winds.
Snowpack
The snowpack was surprisingly thin in the area where I dug, even though I was on a east-facing, previously wind-loaded slope. It could have been deeper under the large cornices, but I wasn't going to check. Consistent with other areas around the zone, the snowpack has become weak and faceted throughout. Stiff slabs previously formed on this slope have softened to grainy facets or long facet chains. Loose snow "sluffs" are becoming more of a risk than larger slab avalanches. Should be interesting when we get a new load on this weak structure as it won't bear much weight.
Avalanche
Observed one small D1 skier triggered avalanche just below a cornice in a recent wind-loaded pocket.