AVALANCHE WARNING »
Dangerous avalanche conditions are occuring or are imminent.
Backcountry travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended.
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Notice: The avalanche danger for the Vail/Summit zone is MODERATE on all aspects and elevations as the storm snow accumulates. Be aware that loading patterns will be on W'ly aspects as wind directions have changed. Wet snow activity will temporarily leave the picture as we move into the weekend, but will re-emerg as we move into Sunday. |
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BOTTOM LINE
Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
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Danger! Tons of new snow and wind with this storm cycle. |
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CURRENT CONDITIONS |
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As of this morning, snow totals are up to 10 inches and vary greatly throughout the zone. Winds have mostly had an Easterly component, loading most slopes with a west facing aspect. Locations near the divide will see continued snowfall thru today, and you can expect the snow totals to be greater than forecast. There has been no new slab avalanche activity to report, but loose snow avalanche activity has been common on most aspects where new snow has accumulated.
Due to the sub freezing temperatures the older snowpack has strengthened and should handle the stress of the storm snow. The new snow will bond well to the old snow surface as the storm came in with near freezing temperatures. Thunder was reported yesterday afternoon. Expect to find a graupel layer (small Styrofoam looking balls) in some areas which will contribute to poor bonding, so you will need to dig into the storm snow, looking for unstable graupel. Cold icy snow will make for a slick bed surface and longer-running avalanches. Expect rapidly changing avalanche danger as the snow comes in today. Conditions will vary slope by slope, so evaluate every steep slope before you ride. Winds will be coming from "not normal" directions so expect loading patterns to be different. Get ready for the fresh new look out there. If you experience more snow than anticipated, expect the danger to increase to a higher level. If you plan on touring in the Eastern side of the zone, consider looking at the Front Range Forecast for additional information. |
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THREAT #1 |
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PROBABILITY |
SIZE |
TREND |
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Over the next
24 hours.
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Be aware that loading patterns will be on W'ly aspects as wind directions have changed. Wet snow activity will temporarily leave the picture as we move into the weekend, but will re-emerg as we move into Sunday. |
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MOUNTAIN WEATHER |
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A closed low over northern New Mexico continues to trek slowly east-northeastward toward the southeast corner of Colorado. A nice fetch of moisture is wrapping around the low with heaviest precipitation spread across the northern half of the state Friday morning. Easterly upslope flow will generate heavy snow east of the Continental Divide through Saturday evening where up to 2 feet of snow could accumulate. Most favored areas are foothill locations around 7-10,000' where precipitation is heavier and temperatures remain cold enough for snow to accumulate. Total storm accumulations drop off quickly heading west of the Divide. The low moves across Kansas on Saturday and into the Mississippi Valley by Sunday. Snowfall ends from west to east on Saturday and moves completely out by early Sunday morning. Dry northwest flow on Sunday will keep temperatures seasonably cool, but April sunshine will warm the snow surface quickly. High pressure builds through mid-week with warmer temperatures each day. No precipitation is expected through the week. |
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| !!! This advisory describes general avalanche conditions, local variations always occur. Please have current avalanche knowledge and travel safely in the backcountry. Please contact the CAIC for the most current information and reports! Colorado Avalanche Information Center 325 Broadway St. WS#1 Boulder, CO 80305 caic@qwest.net 303.499.9650 303.499.9618 (fax) |
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| !!! The information in this advisory is from you, the general public. It is meant as additional information for making educated backcountry decisions. Call 303.499.9650 for the current CAIC report! |
