Mountain Weather March 26,2015

CB Avalanche Center March 26, 2015Weather

Date: 03/26/2015

Your probably tired of reading about a dry ridge over the western U.S. Unfortunately that will be the case again as another ridge is building today bringing us back to dry weather and a warming trend into the weekend. At least the spring breakers will be exited! Cold low temperatures from last night will rebound today under mostly clear skies. A small shortwave may flatten the high pressure ridge on Saturday with increased winds and clouds but any possible perspiration loots to be very light at this time. Models don’t have a handle on next week yet so we’ll just have to focus on the short term weather.

Today

High Temperature: 38
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
Snow: 0

Tonight

Low Temperature: 20
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Snow: 0

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 42
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Clear
Snow: 0

Mountain Weather March 25, 2015

CB Avalanche Center March 25, 2015Weather

Date: 03/25/2015

A passing cold front is bringing increased snowfall before sunrise this morning. This snowfall will decrease behind the front and become more scattered today. By this evening we should see clearing skies that will lead to a cold low temperature tonight. There may be some clouds building on Thursday, but otherwise we’ll be back in a drying trend through the weekend under another high pressure ridge.

Today

High Temperature: 32
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-3

Tonight

Low Temperature: 14
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Decreasing clouds
Snow: 0

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 38
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Snow: 0

Ruby Range

CB Avalanche Center March 25, 20152014-15 Observations

LOCATION: Kebler Pass Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 03/24/2015
NAME: Evan Ross

SUBJECT: Ruby Range
ASPECT: S,NE
ELEVATION: ATL 12,800-11,000

AVALANCHES: One natural soft slab running on the east face of Mt. Owen. SS-N-R1-D1.5-U

WEATHER: Clear through the first half of the day and becoming mostly cloudy by 2pm. Westerly winds where gusting during the first part of the day with some blowing snow, before becoming more sustained at Moderate speeds with more continued drifting.

SNOWPACK: New snow was relatively dense above treeline with drifts up to 25cm deep. We found thin wind slabs 2-4″ thick on many slope and one 6″ thick slab on an isolated pocket. These slabs would pop in hand shears within the new snow, but we didn’t observe any cracking or other signs to instability while skiing slopes over 40 degrees. Small sloughs running within the new snow were the only concern.

Snow surfaces stayed dry today at these elevations and on all aspects toured. Also, there was a lot of graupel, sometimes buried within the new snow and sometimes on the surface, it was like a giant sandbox on some slopes.

UPLOADS:

Natural soft slab running on the east face of Mt. Owen. SS-N-R1-D1.5-U

IMG_0467

Mountain Weather march 24, 2015

CB Avalanche Center March 24, 2015Weather

Date: 03/24/2015

The atmosphere will temporarily stabilize today with partly cloudy sky’s and no precipitation. Another cold front will move into Northern Colorado this afternoon and bring us another chance for snowfall and more gusty winds, both similar to last night. Drier air will be moving into our area Wednesday night but we may still see a snow flurry on Thursday before a ridge of high pressure builds putting us back into dry weather and warming temps through the weekend.

Today

High Temperature: 36
Wind Speed: 12-22
Wind Direction: N, W
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Snow: 0

Tonight

Low Temperature: 19
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 1-5

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 32
Wind Speed: 8-18
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-2

Mountain Weather, March 23, 2015

CB Avalanche Center March 23, 2015Weather

Date: 03/23/2015

Spring break is being put on hold for the start of this week as we move into unsettled weather through Thursday morning. Clouds and winds will increase today ahead of an approaching cold front. Light snow showers arrive tonight with the front, and another pulse comes through Tuesday night. Unfortunately, we’re sitting on the southern edge of this weather system and most snow will fall further north. This unsettled weather will be moving out on Thursday as we return to warmer temps and dry weather for the Grand Traverse weekend.

Today

High Temperature: 40
Wind Speed: 15-25, G40
Wind Direction: SW, W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-1″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 20
Wind Speed: 10-20 mph
Wind Direction: W, NW
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 1-3″

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 35
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-1″

Mountain Weather March 12, 2012

CB Avalanche Center March 22, 2015Weather

Date: 03/22/2015

Another sunny and warm day is in store for you Al Johnson racers. The recent stretch of clear days will end this week under cooler and unsettled weather. High level clouds will begin to increase this afternoon as a weak Pacific disturbance passes overhead tonight, with the small chance of a few raindrops or snowflakes falling tonight. On Monday night, a low level trough and cold will bring periods of heavy snowfall to the northern half of the state. Crested Butte is on the southern edge of action with the chance for a couple inches of new snow. Another quick disturbance moves through Wednesday.

Today

High Temperature: 45
Wind Speed: 5-15, G25
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
Snow: 0

Tonight

Low Temperature: 28
Wind Speed: 8-18
Wind Direction: SW, W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 43
Wind Speed: 15-25, G35
Wind Direction: SW, W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-1″

Gothic area obs

CB Avalanche Center March 22, 20152014-15 Observations

LOCATION: Brush Creek Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 03/21/2015
NAME: Zach Guy

SUBJECT: Gothic area obs
ASPECT:
ELEVATION: 10,000- 12,000

AVALANCHES: More evidence of the recent wet cycle around the Gothic/Copper Creek area. Wet loose and wet slabs, mostly off of E and SE aspects near and below treeline., D1 to D2 in size. Also a few D1 wet loose off of north aspects below treeline in steep rocky areas and D1.5 wet slides off of west aspects near treeline. Surprisingly, we noticed 2 natural D2 wet slabs on northwest aspects above treeline, with starting zones at 12,500 feet. Unknown failure dates on all of this activity, but likely last Tuesday or Wednesday.

WEATHER: Clear skies, warm temps, light winds.

SNOWPACK: Obs from Whiterock area and Snodgrass Area:
Solid refreeze overnight at all elevations (12 inches deep or so) was supportive to boot and skis until 1:00 pm. on SE to SW aspects. After 1:00, started seeing some isolated areas of unsupportive snow below treeline, which likely trended to fully unsupportive but we got off of those slopes. Last night when approaching Gothic, we got a very large collapse on flat terrain after the surface had slightly refrozen.
On north aspects below treeline, the tree shaded slopes held mostly dry snow with a few inches of refrozen wet grains at the surface. More open slopes had wet snow deeper into the snowpack. On northeast aspects below treeline, the snowpack was wet to the ground, mostly supportive on skis but not to boot pen in the afternoon.

UPLOADS:

Mountain Weather for Saturday, March 21st, 2015

CB Avalanche Center March 21, 2015Weather

Date: 03/21/2015

Strengthening high pressure over the next several days will bring unseasonably warm temperatures through the weekend, before an unsettled Pacific disturbance moves into our area next week. Increasing high clouds throughout the day today may limit the freeze tonight, destabilizing the snowpack tomorrow. Strong sun, light winds and increasing clouds will be worth watching, as well as the developing storm set for next week.

Today

High Temperature: 45-50
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Snow: 0″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 25-30
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: W, NW
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Snow: 0″

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 45-50
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: SW, W
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Snow: 0″

Gothic Mountain

CB Avalanche Center March 21, 20152014-15 Observations

LOCATION: Crested Butte Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 03/20/2015
NAME: DR

SUBJECT: Gothic Mountain
ASPECT: South, South West, West
ELEVATION: 9500-12600

AVALANCHES:

WEATHER: 10:00 @ 10,700’ – West aspect, 25º slope – Clear, light wind from north, -1ºC – Ski and Boot Pen both 0cm
11:30 @ 11,700’ – West aspect, 35º slope – Clear, moderate wind from east, 2ºC – BootPen between 0 and 5cm – T20: -1ºC
13:30 @ 12,600’ – west aspect, 38º slope – Clear, moderate wind from south, 2ºC – HS: 75cm, T20: -1ºC

SNOWPACK: No signs of instabilities during the day. Surface was frozen and locked up, plenty supportable while skinning and climbing in crampons. HS above 11,500’ was less than a meter in many places. Upper 30cm on snowpack were a combination of multiple melt/freeze crusts. Large facets present under these crusts. Above 11,500’ there was new snow, up to 5cm near the summit. The surface supported weight, but if you worked hard you could break through and plunge to the ground.

UPLOADS:

Mountain Weather for Friday, March 20th, 2015

CB Avalanche Center March 20, 2015Weather

Date: 03/20/2015

We had our best re-freeze in days, with lows across our area mountains falling into the high teens, with light northerly winds. A trace of new snow yesterday fell only at the highest elevations near Schofield pass. The more active pattern of disorganized moisture will continue to evolve and eject across the Great Basin over the next few days, with still mild temperatures, but falling snow levels through the weekend. Minimal snow accumulations expected at this time.