Vail & Summit County
SnowpackAndrew McWilliams · Jan 14, 2023 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Mostly sunny skies with cold temperatures to start the day that quickly warmed up to near freezing. Winds were light below treeline, but some moderate gusts made their way into the valley. Ridgetop winds were likely moderate from the SW.
Snowpack
Travel below treeline was generally supportable, even in willowy areas, and I only broke into older snow in isolated places. With clear skies overnight there was significant surface hoar formation and near-surface faceting on all near and below treeline slopes that I saw. Winds seemed strong enough to knock down surface hoars at upper elevations. The sun was also strong today, and likely destroyed most of the surface hoar on southerly aspects by the end of the day. However, it was still standing on sheltered near and below slopes as I descended. Southerly-facing slopes developed multiple melt-freeze crusts over the past few days in some places. These crusts were not very strong where I traveled, but I was on sheltered below treeline slopes. I did not find these crusts to be continuous across the terrain at lower elevations. They were not present on a southwest-facing slope below treeline about 400 yards from where I found them on a south-facing slope. A snowpit on an east aspect near treeline had hard propagating results in an Extended Column Test; failing at the top of the depth hoar layer. This area was supportable to skis and boots and had about 20-25cm of decomposing forms and near-surface facets at surface. The slab below consisted of mostly rounds and some rounding facets for 50cm above the depth hoar layer which was over 30cm thick. West-facing slopes above treeline were generally scoured but held snow in isolated terrain features like gullies. Most above treeline slopes were heavily wind-affected and the near treeline elevation band seemed to be holding the most snow. At lower elevations south and southwest slopes had the least snow with heights of about 60-80cm. On northeast and east-facing slopes there was about 100-120cm.