Location: Crested Butte Area Date of Observation: 02/23/2019 Name: Travis Tucker
Subject: Smith Hill Quick Pit Aspect: South West Elevation: 9,560
Avalanches:
None observed.
Weather: Sky 2/8. Moderate Winds w stronger gusts. Significant wind transport observed at higher elevations from North Westerlies.
Snowpack: Not as deep on this aspect / elevation with a HS of 123cm. Surface was DF. Layers prevelant and reactive. Especially 2/2 down 40cm.
CTE 7 SP Q1 / ECTP 10 down 40 on FC/Cr combo. Bottom 20 CK’s was junky DH.
Photos:
The Crested Butte area will sit under a zonal flow for much of the week, but snow producing moisture and energy will largely be to our north so don’t expect any accumulating snowfall until later in the week. Skies will be a mix of clouds and sunshine with moderate temperatures. Expect winds to be blowing at moderate speeds out of the west. Models suggest that a series of Pacific storm will start to impact the area starting next weekend.
Today
High Temperature: 19 to 24 Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, W Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy Irwin Snow: 0″ Elkton Snow: 0″ Friend’s Hut Snow: 0″
Tonight
Low Temperature: 5 to 10 Winds/Direction: 4 to 14, W Sky Cover: Mostly Clear Irwin Snow: 0″ Elkton Snow: 0″ Friend’s Hut Snow: 0″
Tomorrow
High Temperature: 26 to 31 Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, W Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy Irwin Snow: 0″ Elkton Snow: 0″ Friend’s Hut Snow: 0″
Location: Crested Butte Area Date of Observation: 02/23/2019 Name: CBAC Fx Team
Subject: Morning Observations, Natural Avalanches Aspect: North, North East, West, North West Elevation: NTL-ATL
Avalanches:
Fresh natural avalanches within last 24hrs on W-NW-N-NE facing terrain near and above treeline from southerly winds over the last 24-36hrs. Large D2-2.5 persistent slabs were triggered by windloading, and small windslabs stepping down to deeper layers.
Wolverine- N-NE facing, ATL. D2.5 Failing from small windslab, then stepping down and propagating much wider. This avalanche looked to propagate the widest along WNW facing steep rocky terrain where the primarily wind direction would have stripped much of the snowpack hight this season.
W-NW facing Gothic, ATL, D2.5. Failing similarly, propagating widely, failing on variety of weak layers from varied bed surface.
Peeler Basin North Bowl. Another very large natural avalanche. Probably D2.5 . The trouble here, is that there looks to be now cornice fall or windslab to trigger this deep avalanche. It just looks like one deep crown that ran naturally. More information is needed
A second hand report of a large natural avalanche that ran natural today on easterly terrain on Belview Mountain in the Gothic Valley.
Many other natural avalanches were reported above treeline today. These were all generally small, other than the avalanches that previously failed and are noted above.
Weather: Clearing skies, strong north winds above treeline, single-digit temperatures.
Photos:
Wolverine
Example of wind-loading today. Purple Ridge E Bowl
Friday’s storm quickly exited the region last night, replaced with brisk northerly winds and cold, dry air. The area will sit in generally westerly flow over the next handful of days, with minimal chances for snowfall during this time. A chance to dig out! Valley inversions will likely take hold over the coming days, with light westerly winds at ridgetops. Looking ahead, next week looks generally dry, but models hint at another storm taking shape late in the workweek.
Today
High Temperature: 15-20 Winds/Direction: 15-20/WNW Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy Irwin Snow: 0 Elkton Snow: 0 Friend’s Hut Snow: 0
Location: Paradise Divide Area Date of Observation: 02/22/2019 Name: Eric Murrow
Subject: Pittsburg area snow and wind obs Aspect: South West, West Elevation: 9,400 – 11,200
Avalanches:
two wind slabs on same feature SSW. 2 x SS-ASi-R1D.5
Weather: Mostly cloudy skies with light snowfall throughout the day. Winds at ridge top picked up around 130pm out of the west-drifting of snow with gusts to ~30mph. By 5pm snowfall had largely stopped with accumulations during the day of less than an inch.
Snowpack: New snow accumulations since Monday 2/18 were only about 5 to 6 inches total – certainly some settlement happened in new snow during the week but minimal accumulation from several days of very light snow. At a near treeline location, 11,000′, we found a leeward terrain feature that faces SSW with thin shallow Wind Slabs forming ~5 inches thick. This feature was very small and a known drifty piece of terrain but signals that Wind Slabs are certainly starting to build with ample soft snow around for transport.
Photos:
Location: Crested Butte Area Date of Observation: 02/22/2019 Name: Evan Ross
Subject: Deep Snowpack And Feeling Strong Aspect: North East Elevation: 9,500-10,900ft
Avalanches:
Small loose snow avalanches in steep terrain. Failing in the few inches of recent low density snow.
Weather: Overcast, about 4″ of new snow at 3pm today for the last 24hr. Winds were calm to light even at ridgeline. No recent drifting snow, other than what was previously drifted earlier in the week.
Snowpack: Snowpack hight around 180cm at 10,500ft in Washington Gulch. Sluffing in the new snow was the main concern, otherwise no signs to instability and the snowpack continues to feel strong.
Skiing for the past week has produced no signs to instability as it relates to the persistent slab avalanche problem where the snowpack hight is near average as reported in other observations. The main red flag found this week as it relates to the PS problem was where the snowpack heigh was below average and 120cm’s at that location. Many previously wind-loaded terrain features, and areas that the snowpack looked thiner then average, where avoided in the last week.
The anticipated storm arrived last night, and light snow will continue to fall, especially in the typically snow favored areas to the west and north of Crested Butte in the Kebler and Schofield Pass areas. Unfortunately, the San Juans in this south-southwest flow very efficiently wring out the snow sponge, leaving us with the leftovers. With this storm, the San Juans are getting plastered, and we will be lucky and steal more than 4-8” from this southerly tracking closed low pressure by Saturday mid-day. Models have been waffling over the last 48hrs, yesterday they backed off precipitation, now they are bringing back more precipitation by Saturday midday. Northwest winds look to increase tomorrow as the storm exits. Looking toward the rest of the weekend, the atmosphere will dry out, potentially letting the elusive sun to shine for the first time in a number of days. Temperatures will also slowly rebound, and southwest winds look light. More light snow is not out of the question into next week, keeping skiing and riding conditions superb.
Today
High Temperature: 15-20 Winds/Direction: 10-20/SW G40s Sky Cover: Overcast Irwin Snow: 4-6″ Elkton Snow: 2-4″ Friend’s Hut Snow: 2-4″
Tonight
Low Temperature: -5 to 0 Winds/Direction: 5-15/NW Sky Cover: Overcast Irwin Snow: 2-4″ Elkton Snow: 0-2″ Friend’s Hut Snow: 0-2″
Tomorrow
High Temperature: 15-20 Winds/Direction: 15-25/NW Sky Cover: Decreasing clouds Irwin Snow: 0-1″ Elkton Snow: 0 Friend’s Hut Snow: 0
