Vail & Summit County
AvalancheAndrew McWilliams · Jan 15, 2024 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Frigid temperatures dropped throughout the day with strong winds from the northwest. Light snowfall didn't accumulate while I was in the field in the late afternoon.
Snowpack
I observed a reactive snowpack at all elevations and on every aspect I traveled on. I started below treeline and traveled on westerly and southerly slopes as I made my way into the alpine. Below treeline, I could trigger small avalanches on any steep slope I approached that broke at ground level. Many small, natural avalanches ran onto the old mining road I traveled on, likely in the past 36 hours, with debris piles up to three feet deep. Near and above treeline, rumbling collapses and shooting cracks were widespread. I was avoiding slopes greater than 30 degrees but on multiple slopes near 30 degrees I observed slabs fracture like a pane of glass. There was significant drifting of recent snow near and above treeline and visibility was poor. Unfortunately, I was unable to spot any recent avalanche activity at upper elevations due to the poor visibility. In a snowpit near treeline on a southeast-facing slope, I had a propagating result in an Extended Column Test at the interface of the early January facet layer and snow that began falling around January 4th. I did not observe any weak layers within this new slab that is about 50cm thick, even at the interface of the wind-effected snow that fell between 1/4-1/13 and the snow that fell in the past two days (1/14-1/15).
Avalanche
There were many small, natural avalanches running on slopes below 35 degrees breaking at ground-level below treeline.