Vail & Summit County

Snowpack

Jason Konigsberg, Kreston Rohrig · Feb 13, 2021 · Vail & Summit County

Weather

Wind loading was light where we were but visibility was bad so it was hard to tell overall extent.

Snowpack

The dense slab from early February storms was supportable to snowmobiles and made for good riding. Beneath this ~60 cm slab is weak faceted snow. The faceted layer is as soft as fist hardness in places. On southerly slopes a thick crust sits above the faceted crystals and depth hoar. A south-southeast-facing near treeline slope was one of the worst snowpacks we looked at today (nothing was good) with a much thicker wind-drifted slab over depth hoar near the ground (HS = 120 cm). No instabilities were observed in the recent storm snow though we did not travel in heavily wind-affected areas.---Overall the dense slab that has improved travel has also made it harder to affect the weak layer(s). If you do affect the weak layer, the avalanche will be large as this slab is well connected across terrain. Small avalanches are mostly over with and avalanches will be generally large now. Below treeline areas have filled in, are holding a thick slab, and will also be a concern now and for the future.