Vail & Summit County
SnowpackMike Cooperstein · Dec 19, 2017 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
It was a beautiful day along the divide. Clear skies light winds down low and moderate winds up high temperatures in the mid to high twenties. Hopefully the calm before the storm.
Snowpack
The snow pack is relatively stable in the areas I traveled. Snow depths range from a few inches in rocky wind scoured areas and near the margins of gullies and ridgelines to about 60 cm in the center of the shoots. No signs of instability, no avalanches. Snowpack still has a relatively weak structure near the ground. The top 10cm is composed of near-surface faceted crystals and could be a problem if the next storm puts a slab on top of it. Otherwise a few crust facet combinations mid-pack. Even though the structure doesn't look great the snowpack feels and acts pretty strong.