Vail & Summit County
SnowpackRyan Zarter · Dec 4, 2025 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Overcast skies and cold temps. Northwest winds were light with stronger gusts where I was in the valley. Hs on the Road Control stake was 11 inches.
Snowpack
The snowpack on east and southeast-facing slopes near and below treeline remains shallow and weak. The average height of snowpack where I traveled was 30cm, with drifts up to 50cm on loaded features, particularly in east-facing terrain. Winds are stiffening the upper part of the snowpack, and I observed localized cracking around my skis as well as some localized collapsing in drifted, east-facing areas. See attached snow profile from a southeast-facing slope near treeline for details on snowpack structure. The most notable observation in this pit was an ECTP result after 15 taps on growing basal facets about 5cm above the ground.