Coney’s/Washington Gulch

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 02/10/2018
Name: Chris Martin

Subject: Coney’s/Washington Gulch
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 9400-10800

Avalanches:

none



Weather: Obscured skies. Snow increasing throughout the day from S1-S2 varying back and forth throughout day. Basically no winds observed at ridge top when we were present. NW winds through valley observed latter half of day.

Snowpack: No immediate signs of instability.
HN 6-8” of new snow yet to be a slab observed throughout tour.
1M snow @10,800’ F-4F-1F-F with multiple crusts interspersed throughout pack.
Overall poor structure with slab above.

Photos:

Coney’s/Washington Gulch

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/11/2018
Name: Alex Banas

Subject: Coney’s/Washington Gulch
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 9300-11300

Avalanches:

none observed



Weather: Obscured, snowing S1- S2 throughout the day. Light to moderate westerly winds.

Snowpack: 10cm new snow by 1300. Snowfall accumulation rates diminished in the afternoon. No cracking, collapsing or avalanches observed today. New snow varied from grauple to low-density stellers later in the day. The new snow did not show any signs of stiffening throughout the day.

Photos:

Coneys/Washington Gulch

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/10/2018
Name: Jeff Banks

Subject: Conies/Washington Gulch
Aspect: North East, East, South East
Elevation: 9300-11300

Avalanches:

Avalanche: none observed but visibility obscured



Weather: Obscured > Overcast in afternoon. -7C to -9C Moderate NW downvalley winds with drifting in valley floor but light in open glades climbing out of valley floor

Snowpack: HST ~6" low densit, no slab yet.

Photos:

Eleven Guides PM Report (Cat Tenure Irwin)

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 02/10/2018
Name: Eleven Guides

Subject: Eleven Guides PM Report (Cat Tenure Irwin)
Aspect: South, South West, West
Elevation: 10,100-12,300

Avalanches:

Several Dry Loose avalanches (D-1) on steeper slopes especially later in the day
running moderate speeds within new snow. Surprised to see JA glade sluff, pick up speed and deliver a small
powder cloud into the trees. Thornton’s Glade ran faster with more mass. Thornton’s was the only run that
we observed a storm slab crack and propagate 100′ wide but still ran like a dry loose but with some mass to
it D1.5.



Weather: Obscured, Snowing S5 most of the day, winds west moderate with strong gusts, high temps
were at midnight (29F) and cooling all day. 17F & 11F at 16:00. Still snowing at 17:00 S2.
Snowpack observations:

Snowpack: Very little to no cracking in the new snow, not feeling slabby even as high as
Moonrise. New snow came in denser and got lighter through the day and seems like it will continue tonight
with cold temps. Not sure how well it is bonded to the old crusts on southerlies as we stayed mostly
straight west. The sluffs were not running at the interface but within new snow where it got less dense.
Avalanche observations:

Photos:

Gothic Area

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/10/2018
Name: Evan Ross Avalanche L1

Subject: Gothic Area
Aspect: North East, East
Elevation: 9,500-11,000

Avalanches:

Weather: Obscured sky. Light wind. 6" HST at 11,000ft at 3pm. Snowfall tapered off to S-1 in the afternoon.

Snowpack: Storm snow was unreactive with current accumulations. Foot penetration is still to the ground on shaded slopes with some supportive crusts on more sun effected easterly slopes. Couldn't feel or find much for PS stucture traveling in the terrain. Avoided the most suspect areas rather then trying to gather direct observation on those terrain features. No obvious signs to instability.

Photos:

Skooks first bowl

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/09/2018
Name: Eric Murrow

Subject: Skooks first bowl
Aspect: North, North East, East
Elevation: 9,000 – 11,300

Avalanches:

We triggered on small slab mid track on this run. My line choice did not allow me to inspect crown but it was 14-18” deep and approx. 20 feet wide. It ran at most 50 vertical feet. Failed on small convexity. Some rocks were just visible in bed surface. My best guess was that this failed on an old bed surface based on old crown several hundred vertical feet above, but it’s depth also corresponds to 1/20 interface.



Weather: Mild air temps through out tour. Winds at upper ridge were reasonable with light gusting, no snow transport visible.

Snowpack: Snowpack structure near ridge top at 11300 down to 10,300 was generally supportive to skis. HS was right about 100cm through this terrain with around 60cm of 4finger hard snow capping weak basal depth hoar. Old crowns in this terrain were completely filled in except in a few spots, debris was no longer distinguishable.

Photos:

Mountain Weather

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 02/11/2018

Sub zero temperatures reign across our forecast area after yesterday’s storm quickly exited stage right. Look for brisk temperatures in the low to mid 20s, light northwest winds and strong sunshine before yet another storm swings through the Elk Mountains tomorrow. This storm looks to carry similar amounts of moisture as the last few storms but arrive with stronger southwest winds, and warmer temperatures. Snowfall amounts will become clearer by tonight, but first glance hints at another 6-12” for favored parts of the forecast area. Looking further ahead, unsettled weather remains through the first half of the week.

  • Today

    High Temperature: 22
    Winds/Direction: 5-15/WNW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tonight

    Low Temperature: 0
    Winds/Direction: 5-15/W
    Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 27
    Winds/Direction: 10-20/SW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 6-10″
    Elkton Snow: 6-10″
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 3-6″

Mountain Weather

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 02/10/2018

A fast moving disturbance will bring a period of intense snowfall that will develop and intensify midday and snow will continue until about sunset, when drier air works into the atmosphere, and quickly brings snowfall to an end. Timing is uncertain with the exact arrival of snowfall this morning, but best bet is mid to late morning. A delayed onset will ultimately lower accumulations. Models have remained consistent over the last 48 hours with .5-.7” of snow water equivalent (6-10”) adding up quickly with high precipitation rates across the western and northern forecast area such as Kebler and Schofield passes, but the potential for warmer temperatures early in the storm may not create those perfect “cold smoke” densities right away. Tonight, skies clear, and will be a cold night as clouds dissipate and clear skies allow temperatures to plummet.

  • Today

    High Temperature: 28
    Winds/Direction: 10-20/WNW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 6-10″
    Elkton Snow: 6-10″
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 3-6″

  • Tonight

    Low Temperature: 6
    Winds/Direction: 5-15/NW
    Sky Cover: Decreasing clouds
    Irwin Snow: 0-2″
    Elkton Snow: 0-2″
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0-1″

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 20
    Winds/Direction: 5-15/W
    Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Mountain Weather

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 02/09/2018

A cold front in northern WY will march closer to Colorado today while we enjoy another unseasonably warm day with strong sunshine despite overcast skies. Westerly winds and cloud cover will increase ahead of this disturbance, especially near and above treeline today. Tomorrow shot at snowfall looks more and more certain, shaping up to be similar to our last hit of moisture, .5-.7” of water (6-10”) across much of our western forecast area, with lesser amounts east of Crested Butte.

  • Today

    High Temperature: 35
    Winds/Direction: 10-20 G40/WSW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tonight

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

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 24
    Winds/Direction: 10-20/WNW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 5-10″
    Elkton Snow: 5-10″
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 3-6″

Mountain Weather February 8, 2018

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 02/08/2018

Today is going to look a lot like yesterday, only a few degrees warmer and the winds will change direction slightly, blowing a little more out of the west. We’re still sitting on the south side of the jet stream, so the high thin clouds will still stream over the high peaks. Daytime highs will rise to 5 to 10 degrees warmer than yesterday, which will feel downright spring’ish here in town. Yesterday’s freezing level stayed around 10,500′. Today we should see above freezing temperatures over 11,000′.

  • Today

    High Temperature: 32
    Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, West Northwest
    Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tonight

    Low Temperature: 20, colder in the valley
    Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, West Northwest
    Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 35
    Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, West
    Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0