Vail & Summit County
AvalancheRyan Teter · Apr 17, 2023 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
At 12:00 PM at about 12,000 feet on an east aspect, we noted few clouds, with light to moderate variable winds, no precipitation, no blowing snow, and an air temperature of 36 degrees (Fahrenheit).
Snowpack
164 cm deep snowpack with 5 cm ski penetration. Between 5 and 10 cm of soft snow on top of a hard crust.
Avalanche
We noted two avalanches (WL-ASu-R1-D1) at 39.68602, -105.94142 at 12:00 PM. We think these avalanches occurred shortly before we saw them, but are unsure of the exact time. They occurred on an east aspect at about 12,200 feet. The slope is approximately 40 degrees steep based on CalTop slope angle shading. We assess these to be R1D1 wet loose (WL) avalanches triggered by two skiers riding near the top of the slope (ASu). We made this assessment because of the ski tracks noted around the top of the slide path. The avalanche was released at the new/old snow interface (I). The slide on looker's left was smaller, approximately 30 feet wide and the avalanche on the right was 80 feet wide. Both started at approximately 12,200 feet and the deposition was at 12,060 feet. The debris was clumpy with some larger (about 30 cm) roller balls.