Mt Emmons

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/24/2018
Name: Steve Banks. AMGA Observations

Subject: Mt Emmons
Aspect: South
Elevation:

Avalanches:

No new activity noticed. Wanted to check out Redwell slide but it was inhospitable up there!

Weather: Cold! High 9F low 1F at 11,000’. West winds 20-25 mph gusting to 40. BKN skies becoming scattered by afternoon. HN24 3 cms HST 18cms in the past few days.
Snowpack: New windslab formation throughout the day. Telephone pole hill had 6-8” fresh cornice breaking off easily under skis. 11,000 ridge had 8-10” fresh cornice build up and RLB looked loaded in the upper few hundred feet.
Snow profile near and above TL on South aspect showed several distinct yet decomposing melt-freeze crusts with layers of large facets in between. One pit (attached) had ETCP 18 RP 39 cms up from the ground (105 cm HS) as well as PST 40/100 (end) on the same layer.

Photos:

Mt. Emmons

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/24/2018
Name: ADB

Subject: Mt. Emmons
Aspect: South, South West
Elevation: BTL/NTL

Avalanches:

NA on Mt. Emmons and no instabilities on new skin track.
First Bowl of Axtell BTL on NE aspect: L-U-R1-D1. From perspective on Mt. Emmons, it appears to be on recent snow surface within the past week.

Weather: Moderate winds (upper range) sustained on south ridge. Direction changed frequently but predominantly from the west and northwest. Considerable cross-loading of Red Lady bowl. Lot of blowing snow before 11AM.
Snowpack: 2 to 4 inches of new snow /24 hours.

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Mountain Weather for 11,000ft February 25th, 2018

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 02/25/2018

A small disturbance is passing early morning with snow falling in the Kebler Pass and Paradise Divide areas at the moment. Overnight snow accumulations should only add up to about 4 inches with a couple of inches in the Crested Butte area and further east. These light snow showers could continue during the first half of the day, but we are progressing into a drying and warming trend as we look at the start of the week. High temperatures will increase slightly today before rebounding a bit better on Monday and Tuesday as a low-pressure trough pulls warmer air in on southwest flow. That same low-pressure system will bring a return to winter weather and more powder in the forecast around mid-week.

  • Today

    High Temperature: 15
    Winds/Direction: 15 to 25, West
    Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0-2
    Elkton Snow: 0-2
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0-2

  • Tonight

    Low Temperature: 0
    Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, Southwest
    Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 25
    Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, Southwest
    Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Mountain Weather

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 02/24/2018

Overnight, portions of our forecast area around Kebler Pass received 2-6″ of new snow, and increased southwest winds with gusts into the 40s. Temperatures have plummeted since sunrise, with most locations sitting in the single digits or below zero above treeline.
Light snow showers will gradually taper this morning, with partial clearing before yet another ripple of moisture arrives later this afternoon and evening. Kebler and Schofield Passes may hang on to residual orographic snow showers throughout the day as west-northwest winds continue. Snow will become more widespread by sunset, and could see another 2-4″ by tomorrow afternoon. The conga line of moisture and weak disturbances continues into next week with another more potent storm shaping up for Wednesday/Thursday. Temperatures will remain unseasonably cold for late February, with slowly moderating temperatures each day. Winter!

  • Today

    High Temperature: 10
    Winds/Direction: 15-25/WNW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0-2″
    Elkton Snow: 0-2″
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0-1″

  • Tonight

    Low Temperature: -2
    Winds/Direction: 10-20/WSW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 1-3″
    Elkton Snow: 1-3″
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0-2″

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 15
    Winds/Direction: 10-20/W
    Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0-2″
    Elkton Snow: 0-2″
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0-2″

Baxter Basin Avalanche

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 02/21/2018
Name: Jeff Smith

Subject:
Aspect: North, North East
Elevation: 10,000-11,000

Avalanches:

We observed this large avalanche in Baxter Basin. The crown was estimated at up to ten feet deep and one mile wide. The avalanche ran about mile down it’s path.  (Forecaster note- Photo taken  2/21)

Weather:
Snowpack:

Photos:

Pittsburg/Redwell Avalanche

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 02/23/2018
Name: Ian HAVLICK

Subject: Pittsburg/Redwell Avalanche
Aspect: South, South West, West
Elevation: BTL-NTL

Avalanches:

Break in orographic cloudiness and flurries revealed MASSIVE avalanche in Redwell (north side of Mount Emmons). Looked to have failed within past 12hrs. Makes sense with efficient SW wind loading. Failed nearly wall to wall. R4, D3. observed from distance but look forward to investigating. Also looked to have pulled a sympathetic pocket lookers left, closer to Right and Wrong chute, opposite to Wolverine basin (NW facing)

Weather: Mostly cloudy, light to moderate SE-S-SW winds. Temps in the 15-20ºF. minimal new snow accumulation during day, but ~3-4″ overnight
Snowpack: HS 60-120cm. in west facing BTL and NTL terrain, developing 1F mid pack, with still concerning structure and basal facets. Eroding melt freeze crusts 60cm deep (1/2 way down pack). ECTX on BTL, 34º slope (on race course). Would not want to push slope angle steeper because structure is still spooky. Also found suspicious interface and possible surface hoar 30cm from surface. Unreactive in formal tests but bears watching…

Photos:

Natural Avalanche, Gothic

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/23/2018
Name: Peter Innes

Subject: Natural Avalanche, Gothic
Aspect: East
Elevation: 11,000′

Avalanches:

Observed a large natural slide, ~R4 D2.5 , breaking below a cliff band at the bottom of the E face of Gothic Mountain. Crown estimated to be 3′ deep, maybe 250′ across. Debris ran almost 3/4 of the way to the valley floor, approx. 1500′

Weather: Variable snow fluries w/ minimal to no accumulation. Moderate winds blowing up valley which lessened into the afternoon.
Snowpack: No whoomphing, cracking, or skier triggered slides while skinning & skiing E-facing terrain BTL, 30-35º, around the saddle b/w Snodgrass & Gothic.

Photos:

Mountain Weather

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 02/23/2018

Snow showers will continue, and become more steady throughout the day with accumulating snow across our forecast area. Although southwest flow is less than ideal, it will provide just enough moisture and orographic enhancement to get another good dose of that cold smoke when combined with our single digit temperatures. The unseasonably cold temperatures are not ideal temperatures for the big time snow we all know and love, but at this point, we’ll take it. As we see daytime heating, a convective element will contribute to sometimes heavy snow showers dropping snowfall rates to 1-2″/hour. Snow will continue tonight, with winds shifting to the northwest (creating the possibility of deeper accumulations in the Kebler and Schofield Pass areas), before an intensifying low pressure center rips any remaining moisture from our area and onto the eastern plains. An active pattern persists through next week with more snowfall expected.

  • Today

    High Temperature: 24
    Winds/Direction: 10-20/WSW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 3-6″
    Elkton Snow: 3-6″
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 1-3″

  • Tonight

    Low Temperature: 7
    Winds/Direction: 5-15/NW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 3-6″
    Elkton Snow: 3-6″
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 1-3″

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 10
    Winds/Direction: 5-15/NW
    Sky Cover: Decreasing clouds
    Irwin Snow: 1-3″
    Elkton Snow: 1-3″
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0-2″

Skier Triggered Avalanche, Snodgrass

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/23/2018
Name: Jeff Banks

Subject: Skier Triggered Avalanche, Snodgrass
Aspect: North, North East, East, South East, South
Elevation: BTL-NTL

Avalanches:

possibly a skier triggered D2 just above the road on snodgrass. Too far across the valley to discern.
red line is just above possible crown. blue line looked like a skier track. will try to get eyes on tomorrow.

Weather: super variable winds from multiple directions & intensity. from SW to N & calm to strong. Skies varied quickly from Obscured to OVC to brief clearing spells
HN 1-2″ depending on elevation. Often use the analogy of animal types to describe the avalanche problem for the day…”today we have a PWL that’s like a mountain lion -don’t f_ck with it, just avoid it”. yeah…well that’s great and all til you actually ski into a real mountain lion. ~2mi North of Gothic on the East side there’s a big meow-meow.
Snowpack: 3 medium collapses in the flats, HS ~40-50cm of facets covered by wind slab & crusts. 1 medium collapse on SW @ 10500 ~15* HS ~60cm. tracks partial to totally drifted in open slopes 9400-10900 Flat valley bottoms to S-SW-W

Photos:

North of Gothic

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 02/21/2018
Name: Jeff Banks

Subject: North of Gothic
Aspect: South, South West
Elevation: Below Treeline

Avalanches:

nothing new. numerous older on the East side of Baldy massif ~6xD2/2.5.
ATL & NTL NE-E-SE



Weather: cold, mostly clear, intense solar
light to mod winds, no transport BTL

Snowpack: no signs of instability, supportive crust w/ new snow on top
only a few places near dark timber where snow moistened on low angle S& SW

Photos: