Vail & Summit County

Snowpack

Mike Floyd · Mar 1, 2021 · Vail & Summit County

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Weather

Blue skies, calm winds... felt like spring.

Snowpack

Below treeline the snow is mostly faceted and unsupportive and is still barely a meter deep. Near treeline or where wind or sun has allowed the recent snow to form a slab, the snow is supportive to skis but not by much. Lots of evidence of people wallowing in deep facets. I dug a snowpit where I triggered a whumpf on a northeast aspect near treeline. Extended column tests propagated under the slab with considerable effort (ECTP 22 and 24), just above the old facets and depth hoar, about 75 cm down (118 cm HS). If we get another storm that can thicken the slabs over this junk or connect slabs across the terrain, it's going to be messy. I saw no signs of instability other than the whumpf where I dug my pit.