Vail & Summit County

Avalanche

Ian Hoyer · Dec 28, 2014 · Vail & Summit County

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Weather

Blowing sideways. Very low visibility.

Snowpack

Dug in crown of avalanche reported yesterday. HS 47cm. 10 cm pencil hard windslab at surface. Variable mix of ice crust and 5 cm of depth hoar at the ground. ECTP15 failed at the ground on depth hoar above ice crust.

Avalanche

Investigated slide reported yesterday (obs_id=29134). Avalanche failed on depth hoar above a thin ice crust at the ground. Flanks and crown were in areas where the thin depth hoar layer didn't exist. Avalanche had a S aspect, highly wind effected area, snow must have persisted in October.