Vail & Summit County
AvalancheDrew Gibson · Nov 15, 2014 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Overcast and snowing throughout the day. Snowfall intensities from S2 to very brief periods of S4. Moderate winds from the WNW at ridge crest. Temperatures in the high 20s.
Snowpack
The observed snowpack below treeline was up to a meter deep and compromised mainly of snow that has fallen during this storm. The snow/ground interface varies greatly, with some places showing a deteriorating Melt Freeze Crust and other places having decomposing storm snow. The deteriorating MF Crust on the ground is turning to facets with smaller Depth Hoar beginning to form (~2mm).
Avalanche
Widespread collapsing and cracking was observed below treeline. Many small failures were caused on the cut banks of a summer road. A small soft slab was initiated on a short, steep, convex, slope that had an average slope angle of 44 degrees. The crown depth was 65cm-40cm and was triggered from the bottom of the slope. The failure layer was the facets on the ground. A crown profile revealed a few different layers within the storm snow, but hand hardness was F across the board. These layering differences could be attributed to temperature and density changes in the new snow.