Wind Loading in Poverty Gulch Zone

CB Avalanche Center2019-20 Observations

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Subject: Wind Loading in Poverty Gulch Zone
Aspect: South
Elevation: 10,000’

Avalanches: Multiple natural wind slab avalanches were releasing on south facing convex rollovers that had a crust. Wind slabs were releasing anywhere from 2 inches to 12 inches thick. Our party also triggered a wind slab while skinning uphill in low angle rolling terrain. These avalanches only ran up to 40 feet, not a lot of energy and not enough snow to bury a person, but enough to knock a person off their feet.

Weather: Very gusty winds, Moderate temperatures, cloudy skies becoming clear after noon.

Snowpack: South facing aspects had a crust, with active wind loading, creating slabs up to 1 foot thick by noon.

Photos:

Mountain Weather for 11,000ft

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 02/01/2020

The persistent northerly winds will slowly decrease today and shift more westerly this afternoon, as clear skies and above average temperatures push temperatures into the low to mid 30s this weekend, even above 12,000ft! Enjoy this brief February thaw, as an evolving storm is winding up over the Pacific and will track into our forecast area Monday, bringing a round of snow and much colder temperatures back to the area. Stay tuned for details, but looks like a decent refresh is in the cards.

  • Today

    High Temperature: 32-37
    Winds/Direction: 20-30/WNW (decreasing during day)
    Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tonight

    Low Temperature: 15-20
    Winds/Direction: 10-20/WNW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 35-40
    Winds/Direction: 15-25/SW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Near and below Treeline Close to Town

CB Avalanche Center2019-20 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 01/31/2020
Subject: Near and below Treeline Close to Town
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 9,000-11,200

Weather: Clear(ish) sky with very light, hazy clouds. Steady north wind at the ridge top. Single digit temps in the morning, climbing to around 20 by mid-day.

Snowpack: Fresh, shallow (6-8cm) and reactive windslabs on ridge features that are slow-moving and low energy, but could be problematic in high consequence terrain. Below 10,000 feet, snowpack is faceted, punchy and sloughy.

Snowed 3, blew into 6-10, skied like 8-14

CB Avalanche Center2019-20 Observations

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 01/31/2020
Subject: Snowed 3, blew into 6-10, skied like 8-14
Aspect: North East
Elevation: ATL, BTL

Avalanches: None seen but hard to see with bad light and snow whipping me in the face

Weather: Did I mention wind? Sustained with pulses bordering on ground blizzard approaching the ridge.

Snowpack: Anything facing east had a pretty good sun crust with new snow and windload on top of that. Massive snow transport up high, obviously. Everything else varied from wind scour, to wind ribs, to wind whales to sweet boot top goodness. While approaching the ridgeline, got a good crack that shot out about 30 feet into a slightly steeper slope but did not release. If you look closely at the photo, you will see… nothing.

Photos:

Mt Emmons wind load

CB Avalanche Center2019-20 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 01/31/2020
Name: JT
Subject: Mt Emmons wind load
Aspect: South East
Elevation: 12300

Avalanches: Wind loaded slab, didn’t progress very far.

Weather: Extremely windy.

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Mountain Weather for 11,000ft. Friday 1/31

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 01/31/2020

A trace to 3” of snow accumulated yesterday afternoon into the early evening. While NW to NE wind-gusts jumped up as an upper-level jet is passing overhead. Those winds are looking to remain elevated today, with gusts into the 40-50mph range at upper elevations. There is a bit of moisture that will be dropping in on the northerly flow later today and we may see some increasing cloud cover during that time. By Saturday we will have made the transition and landed under the high-pressure ridge. Winds will see a big drop, the sky will be clear and we’ll be on an increasing temperature trend into Sunday with above-average temperatures. The weekend is going to be a nice one!

The next storm comes in the form of a large low-pressure trough making its way across the 4 Corners on Monday. That will land us in SW flow. We’ll have to wait another day to get some more details on that.

  • Today

    High Temperature: 26 to 30
    Winds/Direction: 10 to 20 G35, NW
    Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tonight

    Low Temperature: 8 to 12
    Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, NW
    Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 31 to 35
    Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, W
    Sky Cover: Clear
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

popped a small windslab. Also it was windy.

CB Avalanche Center2019-20 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 01/31/2020
Name: MR
Subject: popped a small windslab. Also it was windy.
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 11,000

Avalanches: unintentionally popped a small inconsequential windslab on an obvious convexity, 11,000′ NE aspect Baxter Basin, see photo. Light went extremely flat and mistakenly skied over the roll. Not a problem but points to potential for the problem in bigger terrain.

Weather: Big wind. Flagging off peaks, gusts swirling snow above treeline.

Photos:

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snow survey at bottom of red lady glades

CB Avalanche Center2019-20 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 01/30/2020
Name: ADB
Subject: snow survey at bottom of red lady glades
Aspect: South
Elevation: BTL

Weather: Clear in the AM; calm; 6 degrees F

Snowpack: Average snow depth is 30. 6 inches
Water content is 7.4 inches
sun crust
about 1 inch of new snow in last 24 hours.

Mountain Weather for 11,000ft. Thursday 1/30

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 01/30/2020

Well yesterday was a big swing and a miss. The moisture moved right around us even more than anticipated. We are now sitting under northerly flow with a little moisture and a small disturbance moving through today. Nothing exciting but we do have a small chance to see some flakes. Winds will increase late this afternoon and tonight as the upper-level jet moves overhead and we slide under a building high-pressure ridge. We still have some clouds moving through on Friday, before clear weather and an increasing temperature trend moves in for the weekend. The next storm looks to arrive around Monday.

  • Today

    High Temperature: 24 to 28
    Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, NW
    Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
    Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

  • Tonight

    Low Temperature: 3 to 7
    Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, N
    Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
    Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

  • Tomorrow

    High Temperature: 26 to 30
    Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, N
    Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
    Irwin Snow: 0
    Elkton Snow: 0
    Friend’s Hut Snow: 0