CAIC

CAIC: Colorado Avalanche Information Center

BC Zone Observation Report

Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at 12:00 AM
Vail & Summit County

Details

Date: 2015/12/16

Observer: Public

Location

BC Zone: Vail & Summit County
Area Description: The incident occurred in East Vail on the top of Abes face.

Weather

Weather Description: The temperature was cold high teens with gusty winds likely over 30 mph. It was also snowing with fairly low visibility.

Snowpack

Snowpack Description: The snowpack showed strong signs of overnight wind loading with evident cornice growth and bigger rollovers then the previous few days.

Avalanches

Avalanche Description: The skier stepped onto the face and as he cross cut a few feet out slowly it triggered the storm slab to slide from the top of Abes all the way across the top of Tweeners towards the left entrance of NBA. The total width was around 80 yards and slid about 50 yards down the hill before settling. The crown was as big as 16 inches in places which was the depth of the new storm snowfall.

Date

Location/Path

#

Elev

Asp

Type

Trig

SizeR

SizeD

View

2015/12/16 ^†

Vail Chutes

1

TL

E

SS

AS / u

R2

D2

Media

Images

<b>Figure 1:</b> Rights Abes towards the left side of Tweeners (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/oyg30ek6vglm93excjnb3oie9mr5?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=ee740d8d503c34a24a3ae0ae3ebb64bc','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)

<b>Figure 2:</b> Looking up towards the top of Abes (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/d8lno28plgkf3aahtvsfqxaiabit?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=903005161237e10720a61399b26b9f12','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)