Teocalli

CB Avalanche Center2016-17 Observations

Location: Brush Creek Area
Date of Observation: 04/02/2017
Name: Ian Havlick
Subject: Teocalli
Aspect: East, South East, South, South West
Elevation: 8800-13200

Avalanches: Skied slopes up to 45º mid afternoon, with no wet loose activity or pushalanches whatsoever. Confidence inspiring. Northerly slopes still holding powder and highest terrain felt like an isolated windslabs still possible on steepest, shadiest terrain. evidence of the big January avalanche is impressive. A chainsaw will be needed to open up farthest reaches of W. Brush road this summer…
Weather: Beauty day. Mild temps, with highs above freezing even at summit. Almost calm winds, slight NW breeze up high. Skiff of new snow overnight.
Snowpack: Snowpack still looking good out Brush Creek, HS 40-100cm, but well settled, supportable, solid, dense. Minimal boot pen. Large granular corn, with Saturdays storm quickly being absorbed. 1-2″ of newer, sloppier snow in places where windblown by east winds yesterday on south facing slopes. Excellent corn.

Large wet loose avalanche from warm temperatures possibly last week?
Big aspen carpeting
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Mountain Weather 4/2/2017

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 04/02/2017

Clearing skys this morning will allow that strong spring sun to pop out and offer up a great time to get out into the mountains. Ridgeline winds will moderate from the northwest. A small short wave trough will move though early this evening bringing increasing clouds this afternoon and another dusting of snow. New snow accumulating will vary from localized convective bursts as is typical during spring storms. Monday will bring another brief loll in weather before a low pressure trough turns on the snow Monday afternoon into Tuesday. Southwest flow during the Monday-Tuesday timeframe looks to bring around a foot of snow to the 11,000ft elevation. A ridge of high pressure will start trying out the weather by Wednesday.

Today

High Temperature: 38
Wind Speed: 5 to 15
Wind Direction: W, NW
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Snow: 0 to 1pm

Tonight

Low Temperature: 24
Wind Speed: 10 to 20
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0 to 2

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 35
Wind Speed: 5 to 15
Wind Direction: SW, W
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 1 to 3

Mount Emmons/Redwell

CB Avalanche Center2016-17 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 04/01/2017
Name: Ian Havlick
Subject: Mount Emmons/Redwell
Aspect: North, North East, East, South East, South, South West
Elevation: 9000-12400

Avalanches: Observed several D1 wet loose avalanches on NTL, east facing terrain by 1300. Numerous BTL north facing rollerballs, but due to minimal accumulations, completely harmless…good to know that north facing did get warm enough for wet loose avalanche problems though, given sufficient snow. non-issue at the moment.

Observed one, D1.5 windslab on east facing slope in Redwell. Looked 10″ deep but ran most the basin.
Weather: Clear skies this morning transitioned to mostly cloudy skies by 1400. Scattered snow showers did develop, but just a skiff of accumulation. Steady E-SE wind 10-15mph blew during tour, strongest at ridgetop. New snow accumulation ~4-10″ Major temperature difference within 1000ft, 40s at 10k, high 20s at 12k.
Snowpack: No active wind transport, however, significant evidence of reverse windloading from E-SE winds yesterday and overnight. Drifts up to 18″ deep were observed along traditional Red Lady skin track ridge, and along Mount Emmons. Most of this fresh windloading accumulated on previously bare rock, and no signs of instability (such as cracking) were observed.

Non reactive storm snow interface 8″ deep on northerly facing slopes. some minor cracking underfoot but minor propagation.

Significant greenhousing once clouds developed midday, made even north facing surface snow a little stickier. South facing slopes even above treeline cooked today, and last nights snow settled to 1-2″.

it was okay..
Observed this fresh wet loose avalanche initiate off rocks, east facing, 12 noon
Evidence of D1.5-2 windslab (likely ran last night or this morning)
Summit of red lady, reverse wind loading/cornice.

Mountain Weather 4/1/2017

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 04/01/2017

We will see partly cloudy skies this morning become mostly cloudy this afternoon, fueled by daytime heating and convection. Scattered snow showers will develop this afternoon, with another possibility of a stray clap of thunder. Winds could become gusty at times with these snow showers. Sunday looks dry, with increasing westerly winds in the afternoon, before Monday’s significant storm arrives.

Today

High Temperature: 35
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: NE, E
Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
Snow: 1-2″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 18
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: SE
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-1″

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 37
Wind Speed: 15-25
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Snow: 0″

Mountain Weather 3/31/2017

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 03/31/2017

A large amount of uncertainty exists with this current storm system. As with most closed low pressure systems, they have spun off the main jet stream and behave like a spinning top across the continent. This low pressure has a wobble, and we will have to wait and see what we get. Last night, models suggested the low moving farther south than predicted 12 hours previously, leaving Aspen and Vail out of the snow. Currently, our area looks to have been left out also. I’m not counting it a full skunk yet, as lower elevations will eventually moisten and allow precipitation to fall today. Currently (6am) and overnight, snow levels hovered around 10,000ft, and McClure Pass is reporting a steady cold rain. We should not expect much out of this storm anymore as the closed low will now direct east-southeasterly winds across our area, very unproductive orographic forcing. Temperatures will climb to the mid 30s, and those southerly winds should be ripping near and above treeline today.

Another storm system looks to impact the area once again, before a stronger ridge of high pressure moves overhead for the rest of the work week. Soon we will be ripping single track and climbing Taylor Canyon stone, but for now, enjoy what snow does fall!

Today

High Temperature: 37
Wind Speed: 20-30
Wind Direction: SE, S
Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
Snow: 1-3″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 22
Wind Speed: 15-25
Wind Direction: SE
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-1″

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 34
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: NE, E
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-1″

NE Slicks

CB Avalanche Center2016-17 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 03/30/2017
Subject: NE Slicks
Aspect: North East
Elevation: ATL and TL

Avalanches: Just sluffs of new snow on that slick crust underneath. Pockets of 10 inches deep further down pitch that would be cause for concern on steeper more sustained/exposed pitches.
Weather: sunny, breezy up high Wednesday, no wind on Thursday
Snowpack: Found there to be anywhere from 4-10 inches of snow on NE aspects both above treeline and at treeline sitting on a slick crust

Mountain Weather 3/30/2017

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 03/30/2017

We will see another warm, spring-like day across our forecast area with temperatures approaching the 40º mark at 11,000 feet. Southwest winds should remain light through much of the day before ramping into the 30-40mph range later this afternoon ahead of our next Pacific storm arriving late tonight. Tomorrow’s storm looks promising at the moment, with potentially 12”+ of new snow for the higher elevations.  Stay tuned as details solidify throughout the day.

Today

High Temperature: 40
Wind Speed: 15-25
Wind Direction: SW
Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
Snow: 0″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 20
Wind Speed: 20-30 G50
Wind Direction: SW
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 1-3″

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 35
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: S
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 4-8″

Mount Baldy

CB Avalanche Center2016-17 Observations

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 03/29/2017
Name: Ian Havlick
Subject: Mount Baldy
Aspect: East, South East, South, South West
Elevation: 9700-12600

Avalanches: Triggered several wet loose slides on steep (35º+) southerly facing slopes between 1430-1500 in the gut of Mount Baldy southerly bowl. These slides carried a decent punch and could tumble the unsuspecting skier or rider, and cause injury in confined terrain like couloirs. new snow 3-4″ deep running quickly on old suncrust.
Weather: Mostly clear skies, strong radiation, light to moderate NW winds early to mid afternoon. Temperatures remained fairly cold, but winds made ambient temps feel much colder.
Snowpack: 3-4″ new snow across terrain, but with strong radiation and mild temperatures, yesterday’s snow 8-10″ was settling fast, to 3-4″ by mid afternoon on southerly half of compass. Moderate NW winds were transporting yesterdays snow efficiently with significant new cornice formation and windslabs directly adjacent to ridgelines up to 18″ deep. New snow was not cracking or collapsing and appeared to be bonding well with underlying snow surfaces even with strong ski cuts and aggressive turns.

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Scarp Ridge

CB Avalanche Center2016-17 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 03/29/2017
Name: Kirk
Subject: Scarp Ridge
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 12012

Avalanches: wet slide activity started around noon . Small skier triggers wet slide was avoidable but could have been a knee wrecker .
Weather: Realatively Calm with occasional gusts from SE about 5mph
Snowpack: 6 new from Monday / Tuesday . Setting up fast

In the Greenhouse

CB Avalanche Center2016-17 Observations

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 03/28/2017
Name: Ben Pritchett
Subject: In the Greenhouse
Aspect: North, North East, East, South East, South
Elevation: 11,500′

Avalanches: Extensive wet loose cycle nead and above treeline producing numerous D1/1.5 slides. Examples include: Gothic Mountain SW face. Baldy SE face. Schuylkill Ridge SE and East. Whetstone E aspect (adjacent to M-chutes). Purple Palace NE.
Weather: Intense greenhouse / radiation. Temps were only in the mid 20’s, but the radiation influences were dramatic.
North winds showed up as expected in late afternoon.
Snowpack: North & Northeast – dry snow surfaces in late pm. New snow failed on small facets in tilt tests, down 15-20cm.
Southeast – moist surfaces in PM, snowpack tests popped down 20-25cm on rounding facets below buried Melt Freeze crusts.
South/Southwest- wet surfaces, generating free-water that wicked/spread above the old Melt freeze crusts on steeper slopes. Extensive rills developed between 2-4pm below 10,500′. New snow was glued to the top of the crusts.
Late PM winds began to transport new snow lightly, forming soft shallow drifts just below ridgelines.

Loose Wet avalanches adjacent to Wetstone’s M-Chutes.  East Aspect.

Loose Wet avalanches off Gothic’s SW Face.

Loose Wet avalanches off Schuylkill Ridge and Schuylkill’s NW satellite summit.  East aspects.

Lower Purple Palace, Loose Wet avalanches running just North of East.

Rills developed from wet snow surfaces between 2-4pm.