Sawatch

Snowpack

Jason Konigsberg · Jan 2, 2017 · Vail & Summit County

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Weather

Clouds thickened and increased throughout the day. Winds were moderate at ridgetop. No precip.

Snowpack

I traveled mainly below treeline where the snowpack was very supportable but also more shallow than other areas and elevations. Total snow depth in a snowpit on a shady aspect at 11k ft was 80cms. The snowpack below treeline has a weaker basal faceted layer compared to other locations in which I got propagating results in ECTs and a PST...The issue for the near future, with a storm beginning tonight, is the weak surface snow. It is unlikely that the new snow will bond well to the near-surface facets and if new snow amounts add up, storm slabs will be an issue...It will still take a large load to re-awaken our deeper persistent slab problem. If storm totals are counted in feet by the end of the week, the below-treeline elevation should not be overlooked as the snowpack structure and shallow snow depth is concerning and may be more reactive than other elevations.