Vail & Summit County
SnowpackJason Konigsberg · Mar 21, 2017 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Skies were mostly clear at 9 AM. In the late morning cloud cover increased with skies becoming overcast by about noon.
Snowpack
I traveled on east through south-facing above treeline terrain and found a supportable snowpack with minimal hazard of wet avalanches. Boot penetration was about 4 inches and ski penetration was about half of that. In steep, rocky areas a couple inches of wet snow could easily be pushed downhill but there was very little entrainment. I would still be skeptical on any steep and rocky confined gully feature. The snowpack, underneath about 2 inches of wet snow, is moist and pencil hard. I did not note any distinct layers that would contribute to water pooling and Wet Slab avalanches.---Below-treeline slopes were a different story. Very wet snow at the surface followed by wet snow to near the ground. The snowpack is very close to becoming isothermal, if not there already in some areas. The snowpack is completely unsupportable to walk on. Although drainage is established, it seems as though facets near the ground are not quite wet. I think an overcast night with temperatures above freezing could cause lower-elevation conditions to further deteriorate.