Vail & Summit County

Avalanche

Jason Konigsberg · May 3, 2016 · Vail & Summit County

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Weather

Clear skies with zero cloud build up in the afternoon for the first time in awhile. Cool but light northerly wind at ridgetop with a few moderate gusts in the morning. No snow being transported. Temperatures above treeline felt cool with a local wx station reporting 31 degrees at 12000 ft at noon...just a couple degrees warmer than yesterday. Near and below treeline temperatures warmed to upper thirties to low forties... 5 to 10 degrees warmer than yesterday.

Snowpack

The snow surface on all aspects and elevations, except for north above treeline, warmed yesterday resulting in widespread but small Loose Wet avalanches. Too many avalanches to count but none exceed D1.5 with most being D1 and initiating out of steep, rocky terrain and not open slopes. The warming yesterday was relatively shallow. This morning most slopes had either a supportable 1" thick melt-freeze crust or breakable wind crust that rests over lower density snow. On due north aspects a variety of snow conditions exist from soft wind-drifted snow to thick hard slabs of wind-drifted snow to thin breakable wind crusts. There was no evidence of any reactive wind slabs.

Avalanche

Numerous D1-1.5 Loose Wet avalanches in steep, rocky terrain on all aspects except north. No evidence of any recent Wind Slab avalanches.