Vail & Summit County
SnowpackAnonymous · Feb 6, 2023 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
4" (10cm) of new snow overnight. Cloudy, S-1 snowfall throughout the morning. In areas even slightly exposed, the wind has already blown snow away and eroded most surfaces. Consistent winds from 10-20mph with gusts 30-50mph. Roughly ten degrees fahrenheit at the trailhead.
Snowpack
Snowpit was dug on an east aspect, near tree line, at 11,700' elevation. No shooting cracks or whoomphing. No avalanches seen. Wind affected snow on more southernly aspects are beginning to have a hollow sound. In comparison to mid-December through early January, the depth hoar has gained significant strength. I conducted two compression tests and had two results, both CT SC 15 @ 66cm. Total snowpit height was 85cm with the top 10cm being new precipitation. The healing basal facets from 0-27cm ranged in firmness from soft (4F) to medium (1F) but appear to be gaining some strength. There are still multiple 'sandwiches' in this layer, but I did not spend enough time to seek each of these out.