A classic morning view of Peak One from Summit Voice headquarters in Frisco.
Inbounds avalanche at Sun Valley may have been in closed area, Utah death part of trend of people taking more risks in the sidecountry; Avalanche hazard varies across Summit and Vail zone from east to west
By Bob Berwyn
SUMMIT COUNTY — A few more inches of new snow reported around the county, with the highest snowfall totals at Vail, where the ski area reported 19 inches for the past 48 hours. In Summit County, 24-hour snowfall totals were light, with 1 to 2 inches, but 8 inches reported by Breckenridge and 7 inches at Copper in the past two days.
HIghs today will only reach the teens under a cool northwest flow with strong gusts over the ridge tops. Lows will drop near zero the next few nights, but skies should warm back up into the mid-20s by Tuesday as the flow shifts back to the southwest ahead of an approaching storm.
Two avalanche deaths were reported around the west over the weekend, one inbounds at Sun Valley, although it’s not clear whether the slide was in a closed area. Read a report from OnTheSnow.com here. The second avalanche death was near Snowbasin, Utah in Hells Canyon, a sidecountry area where there have been previous avalanche deaths, according to the story in the Salt Lake Tribune.
According to the National Weather Service, the next western storm — now moving onshore in northern California — will split, with the main energy once again dropping south of Colorado and potentially setting up for an upslope snow event, with precipitation east of the Divide in the foothills and Front Range metro areas Wednesday.
Forecast maps show plenty of moisture over the mountains Wednesday as well, but the atmospheric dynamics may not favor mountain snowfall. Forecasters with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said there could be some widespread mountain snow Wednesday before the storm center dives south, so keep your fingers crossed.
With snowfall totals varying across the Summit-Vail zone, the avalanche danger rating is set as considerable on all aspects near and above treeline, where triggered slides are likely. More wind-loading was evident on the western side of the zone, around Vail and Vail Pass, where there was more new snow. The CAIC pointed to widely varying levels of avalanche danger in the forecast area, with fewer signs of instability around Loveland Pass, but a much higher danger in the Gore and Tenmile Range, including Vail Pass.
Check in with the CAIC for an updated report and avalanche forecast before heading into the backcountry. Call the local avalanche hotline at (970) 668-0600.
