Vail & Summit County
SnowpackAndrew McWilliams · Jan 31, 2023 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Single-digit temperatures warmed quickly into the teens with ample sunshine and clear skies with light westerly winds. Great day to be outside.
Snowpack
The upper snowpack was supportable and there was about 30cm of ski penetration when traveling in undisturbed areas. No cracking or collapsing in the snowpack was observed on the ascent or descent. Snowpits on south and southwest aspects had different structures, but similar results in Extended Column Tests (ECT). The snowpit on the south-facing slope had decomposing melt-freeze crusts and a softer slab. The pit on the southwest-facing slope did not have any crusts, but a harder slab. Both pits had facets near the surface and depth hoar at the ground. Both pits had moderate non-propagating ECT results at a density change in the newer snow. The pit on the south-facing slope also had a non-propagating ECT result in one of the basal facet layers after five taps from the shoulder. Near-surface faceting was present in the upper 10-20cm of the snowpack.