Vail & Summit County

One near tree line, loose wet avalanche on a north-facing slope, natural. This avalanche likely ran yesterday. Also observed two loose wet avalanches on a northwest-facing, above-treeline slope just above the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnel that likely ran on Tuesday (D1, natural R1).

Clear skies, light westerly winds 10°C Beauty day.

We dug a snow pit on a SE above tree line slope at about 12,000 feet. We got a propagating result in our extended column test about 30 or 40 centimeters from the ground in a layer of basal facets. Total height of snow was about 115 cm. The snow was wet all the way down to about 90 cm and then moist from 90 to 60 cm. It seemed like the basal facet layer getting wet was part of the issue; water was pooling just above that layer, creating a wet slab problem. On a northeast slope we dug on, the snow was still cold, with no result in snow pit tests, and the danger seemed lower there without a concern for wet slabs. On east and southeast facing slopes, the wetting front is approaching drier and weak basal facet layers about 30 to 50 centimeters above the ground.