Vail & Summit County
AvalancheRyan Lewthwaite · Nov 24, 2019 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Partly cloudy skies and 29 degrees Fahrenheit. Winds were light out of the west with blowing snow at ridgelines. Increasing clouds and wind throughout trip.
Snowpack
On a Near Treeline northwest aspect, fresh snow ~5 inches was found in wind protected trees. This new snow rests directly on fist hard facets which go to the ground. A fairly homogeneous fist hard snowpack with immature depth hoar at the base. On a windward southwest aspect a firm melt-freeze crust lies below the new snow acting as a bed surface for loose dry sluffs. Thin and easily penetrated wind drifted snow could be found on the surface of the snowpack in above treeline terrain, but was of low concern. You could create cracking within cornices and wind drifted features but they were primarily isolated to ridgeline areas. Many southern aspects and windward slopes above treeline lack sufficient snow for avalanches.
Avalanche
No new avalanches observed.