Pre-storm shakedown

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/20/2017
Name: ZDK

Subject: Pre-storm shakedown
Aspect: North, North East, East, North West
Elevation: 9000-11,200

Avalanches:

None observed.

Weather: Overcast with stormy-looking clouds building. 26F at 10:00 to 32F at 13:30, light S-W winds BTL
Snowpack: Toured E-NE-N-NW aspects from 9,000-11,200 around Wolverine Basin. Average snowpack 30-50cm of weak faceted snow below a 1-3 cm faceting crust from warmer temps in late Nov. That crust generally now has 1-4 cm of small faceted crystals above it on most sheltered slopes from recent light accumulations . Although the crust has weakened in recent weeks, it still may be capable of supporting a slab in certain areas especially as you move from North aspects to NE and E aspects.

Photos:

Mountain Weather December 21, 2017

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 12/21/2017

It’s going to snow today! The big question is “how much?” and there’s little agreement amongst Colorado meteorologists. The storm has slowed down a little, and the predicted timing of the cold air and precipitation isn’t consistent amongst our various resources. That said, there is good confidence that we’ll see at least a few inches by day’s end, with an outside possibility of a foot or more in areas favored by a southwest flow, like Irwin and Paradise Divide.
Essentially we’ve got a wave of low pressure with an associated cold front moving in from Utah. The precipitation will be largely focused around the cold front, which is sitting around Grand Junction early this morning. The slow progress may actually help if the front lingers over us for several hours this morning, but we’ll end up with less snow if the front passes quickly. Either way, by this evening the precipitation should end with skies clearing overnight. Tomorrow will be a beautiful snow covered day before another round of snow showers on Saturday.

  • Today

    High Temperature: 20
    Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, gusting to 30, Southwest
    Sky Cover: Overcast
    Irwin Snow: 6 to 10″
    Elkton Snow: 6 to 8″
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 3 to 7″

  • Tonight

    Low Temperature: 5
    Winds/Direction: 5 to 10, Northwest
    Sky Cover: Decreasing clouds
    Irwin Snow: 1 to 3″
    Elkton Snow: 1 to 2″
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 2″

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 20
    Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, gusting to 30, Northwest
    Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Mountain Weather December 20, 2017

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 12/20/2017

So we have one final day to enjoy Fall. Tomorrow, on the first official day of winter, winter will arrive! Today, we’ll see increasing clouds and pre-frontal winds ahead of a brief but potent storm.
This system begins as a digging trough, that will morph into a closed low-pressure system as it passes over Colorado. We’re expecting a somewhat abnormal storm profile, where we will see strong southwest winds before the front, then light southwest winds after the front. Interestingly the strongest winds will come in before the snow, so expect a windy night, then snowfall starting up early tomorrow morning.

  • Today

    High Temperature: 30
    Winds/Direction: 15 to 25, gusting to 40 in the PM, southwest
    Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tonight

    Low Temperature: 10
    Winds/Direction: 15 to 25, gusting to 35, southwest
    Sky Cover: Overcast
    Irwin Snow: 1 to 2
    Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 15
    Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, gusting to 30, southwest
    Sky Cover: Overcast
    Irwin Snow: 6 to 8
    Elkton Snow: 5 to 7
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 2 to 4

Mountain Weather December 19, 2017

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 12/19/2017

Today and tomorrow will be your last chances to ice skate at Long Lake or mountain bike the Lupine Trail. With two more mild days on tap, winter is finally approaching just in time for the winter solstice.
Northwest winds today will usher in some high thin clouds signaling the coming change. Tomorrow we’ll see the flow shift to the southwest bringing thickening and lowering clouds with increasing winds in front of a potent cold front on track for Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Our forecast confidence is high that we’ll see plummeting temperatures later in the week. The weather models have bounced around on snow totals. Basically, this storm won’t bring a lot of moisture, but the atmosphere is going to get rowdy for a short while. At this point, I expect we’ll see big differences in snow totals between town and the high peaks. Stay tuned…

  • Today

    High Temperature: 30
    Winds/Direction: 5 to 10, Northwest
    Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tonight

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

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 30
    Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, gusting to 35 in PM, Southwest
    Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Mountain Weather December 18th, 2017

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 12/18/2017

Gunnison Valley low temperatures are in the single digits while 11,000ft low temperatures are in the high teens. Temperatures will rebound into the 30’s today with clear skies and light winds. So it should be a beautiful day. This nice weather will hold for the start of the week before changes arrive on Wednesday. A low-pressure trough will start diving from the Northwestern United States towards Colorado. We’ll see increasing clouds on Wednesday and snow showers developing early on Thursday. 3” to 6” of snow on Thursday looks like a good bet and a welcome change. Temperatures will plummet for the weekend and we should also see some more snow accumulate.

  • Today

    High Temperature: 32
    Winds/Direction: 5 to 15/NW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tonight

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

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 32
    Winds/Direction: 5 to 15/NW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Mountain Weather December 17th, 2017

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 12/17/2017

Colorado is sitting in a big old sandwich. Where the meat and cheese are all dried out and the bread is soggy wet. A weird sandwich I know, but its true. There is a closed low eating tacos down south near the Mexican border and a wave of moisture being pushed over the ridge into Canada. Colorado just doesn’t have much going on for the next several days. Dry weather will take us through Wednesday. On Wednesday we should see clouds increasing and snow falling by Thursday!! That’s right people snow! The high-pressure ridge will have moved out further west and a low-pressure trough will move in.

  • Today

    High Temperature: 25
    Winds/Direction: 5 to 15/W
    Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tonight

    Low Temperature: 12
    Winds/Direction: 5 to 15/W
    Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 30
    Winds/Direction: 5 to 15/NW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Cinnamon Mountain

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 12/16/2017
Name: Ian HAVLICK

Subject: Cinnamon Mountain
Aspect: East, South East, South, West
Elevation: 10,100-12,300

Avalanches:

no avalanches observed.

Weather: Overcast all day, chilly but only very light winds made day feel warmer. Minimal solar radiation.
Snowpack: Tale of two different snowpacks at the moment. near and below treeline snowpack is shallow and generally completely rotten and faceted. Big grained depth hoar, total sandbox, with depths ranging from total dirt to 50cm.

Above treeline, the snow surfaces are a war zone. Variable snow surfaces, very dense, slick, wind hammered. Dirt to crossloaded pockets 90cm deep. Snow structure is a beaten dog, 80% facets, with some real firm hardslabs (pencil+ to knife hard). These conditions are not dangerous at the moment, but will be looking at poor instability with any new snow loads. At ridge crest, Wednesday’s 1″ accumulations had drifted to 6-8″ but minimally cracking under boot foot.

Photos:

Mountain Weather

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 12/16/2017

Weak valley inversion will begin to mix out this morning with increasing clouds into the afternoon as another weak Pacific disturbance withers on the vine and loses all potential precipitation as it moves across the Great Basin. Look for a few flurries tonight over our highest terrain along the spine of the Elk Mountains, with just a skiff of accumulating snow. Sunny days return again, before our much anticipated mid week storm rolls in. This digging trough from the Pacific looks to bring advisory level snowfall (4-8”+) to our area before the low pressure cuts off and severs its moisture tap. While not a season saver, it is a step in the right direction…

  • Today

    High Temperature: 35
    Winds/Direction: 5-15/SW
    Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
    Irwin Snow: 0″
    Elkton Snow: 0″
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0″

  • Tonight

    Low Temperature: 15
    Winds/Direction: 5-15/SW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: tr
    Elkton Snow: tr
    Friend’s Hut Snow: tr

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 25
    Winds/Direction: 5-15/WSW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Washington Gulch

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/15/2017
Subject: Photos taken from up Washington Gulch
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 10,843

Weather: Sunny with little wind
Snowpack: Facets to the ground beneath a crust layer with a dusting of snow on top from Wednesday night’s storm. Some areas had no new snow dusting and some areas were deeper, maybe 2 inches of new snow.

 

Little Italian Mountain/Taylor Pass

CB Avalanche Center2017-18 Observations

Location: Upper Taylor Area
Date of Observation: 12/15/2017
Name: Ben Pritchett

Subject: Little Italian Basin (Italian Joe Pass) / Taylor Pass
Aspect: South, South East
Elevation: 10-12,000ft

Avalanches:

Observed several D1 windslabs near Little Italian Basin and Taylor Pass.

Snowpack: north winds transported snow onto SE facing slopes above treeline. At 11,000ft we saw a 50cm entirely faceted snowpack. Once above treeline, the snowpack is wind and sun ravaged, with pockets of sunbaked hardslab between scoured and crusted facet beds.