Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 01/08/2019
Name: Irwin Cat Operation

Subject: Explosive triggered avalanches on the 1/6 interface
Aspect:
Elevation:

Avalanches:

Along with the noted avalanches we got small pockets to pull out of Candys and Sonic. Both running on the 1/6 interface as well. The sonic debris was much needed to fill in the massive wind whales below the choke.
NC Shooter SS-AE-R2-D2.5-I MF-01/06 (35cm x 25m x 250m)
Thin Line SS-AE-R1-D2-I MF-01/06 (20cm x 20m x 80m)

Weather: Warm with high temps of 34 down low and 24 up high. Few clouds off and on today with swirling winds calming down to single digits gusting to 8.

Snowpack: Party Hats Left had a progressively stiffening (4f-1f) 30cm slab that felt hollow while probing around that was noticed full path. The avalanches in EBM are running on the 1/6 MFcr. East and south snow surfaces were moist by 1400.

Photos:

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 01/08/2019
Name: Evan Ross

Subject: Night and Day difference in 24hr
Aspect: North East, East, South, South West
Elevation: 9,400-11,500

Avalanches:

Baldy 1x Natural, ATL S, R1-D2
Baldy 1x Natural, ATL SE, R1-D2

Gothic Mountain 1x natural, SW ATL R2-D2.5
Gothic Mountain 2x natural, SW ATL R2-D2

Augusta Mountain 1x natural, ATL SE R1-D2. (Estimated from a far distance).
Mineral Point Natural 1x natural, ATL E R1-D2 (Estimated from a far distance).

Mt Emmons 1x Natural, ATL SE R2-D2

Long Lake area 1x Natural, BTL NE R3-D2

Long Lake area 2x Natural, BTL NE R2-D2

Weather: Few clouds and light winds. No blowing snow observed. Sun was warming the snow surface on southerly facing slopes.

Snowpack: Night and day difference since yesterday. Yesterday I found shooting cracks everywhere failing in the storm snow, today on a lot of different slopes and some of the same slopes I only saw maybe two small slopes that produced some shooting cracks. These still appeared to have failed at the storm snow instability. Slice, diced, ripped and teared many slopes with very few sings to instability. These slopes where on many aspects, some wind-loaded, some not, but all generally small in size. Given the depth of the new slab, the compressive support of this size of slope may have played a role.

At 11,000ft storm accumulations were about 45cm. This slab was 4F at its base in sheltered areas. ATL SW facing slopes where the most blown out looking. Though there was still a number of crowns on that aspect. SE and W aspects had some great examples of cross-loading to give you pause. Other lee aspects were definitely looking thick and loaded. The weak layers under this slab already look difficult to effect from the weight of a skier, but the avalanche size wouldn’t be something you want to get caught up in.

SE at 11,200ft. 30 degree slope with a vertical HS of 145cm. ECTN M results at the storm instability, ECTP result on +30 taps below the Santa Slab on 1mm rounding facets above the crust.

Photos:

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 01/08/2019
Name: Maxwell Lasky

Subject: Storm slab in Red Lady Bowl
Aspect: South East
Elevation: 11,500 ft

Avalanches:

What appears to be two separate naturally triggered storm slabs in Red Lady bowl. Worth noting that the debris ran very far down bowl down over the roll overs after the main pitch.

Weather:

Snowpack:
Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 01/07/2019
Name: Ian Havlick

Subject: Valley Avalanche Observations from 1/7 Storm
Aspect: East, South East, South
Elevation: 9-12,000

Avalanches:

Here are avalanches observed over the last 24hrs as visibility has allowed on east to southeasterly facing terrain on Gibson Ridge and Whetstone. Seems that the near to below treeline areas may hold most recent evidence of natural avalanche cycle. Likely due to weakest snow prior to storm.

Weather: Clear, calm, cold.

Snowpack:
Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 01/08/201

Subject: Slide above condos
Aspect: South East

Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 01/08/2019
Name:

Subject: “sunlight” ridge avalanche
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 9500

Avalanches:

Sunlight ridge above avalanche fence. Slid right at sunrise. Maybe 300′. Most likely a wind slab from last nights wind event. Observed from plow

Weather: Sunny, clear skies, 5 degrees

Snowpack:

Photos:

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 01/08/2019
Name: Irwin Guides

Subject: Irwin Cat Ski Obs
Aspect:
Elevation:

Avalanches:

Shallow Storm slabs running on on the 1/6 interface up to D1.5. Flaming Ferrari and Whisky shot produced soft slabs up to D1.5 in size. SS-ASc-R1-D1.5

Weather: Overcast, Snowing S1 all day with strong South Westerly winds all day.

Snowpack: Wind blown snow surfaces stiffening in the last 24 hours. The storm slabs are running on the 1/6 interface and entraining a fair bit of snow. The snow safety team noted that the storm slabs were eroding through the 1/6 interface in the cocktail shots.

Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 01/07/2019
Name: Eric Murrow

Subject: Sensitive Storm Snow
Aspect: North, North East, East
Elevation: 9,600 – 11,142

Avalanches:

Viewed what appeared to be numerous shallow human triggered D1’s from yesterday that had refilled with about 5inches overnight. Was able to skier trigger several small pieces of start zones that were not impacted by travellers yesterday.
I had zero visibility outside the small bits of terrain I was above and certainly could not see any other avalanche activity on adjacent mountains.

Weather: During the course of my walkabout snowfall rates varied between S-1 and S1. With around 2 inches of accumulation from 1100 to 315. On the uptrack winds were very light even in wide open terrain. Large tall trees near ridge top were holding lots of storm snow until around 145pm but during descent around 230 winds began to pick up at this location and snow started being blown out of trees. Open terrain near parking lot was actively drifting at 315.

Snowpack: I measured HST at 11,000′ and found about 14.5 inches with 1.15 SWE. While walking in flat terrain I was able to produce small shooting cracks up to a ski length. Walking along steep northeasterly facing terrain at 11,000′ I was easily and predictably able to trigger small D1 Storm Slabs on terrain steeper than 35 degrees however there was lots and lots of skier traffic yesterday during the first half of storm which cut up most of the start zones and/or released small slabs. But every piece of steep unmolested snow I was able to touch released or slumped. All of this activity was in a thin layer of weak low-density storm snow a cm or two above old snow even though a few locations had small surface hoar present at the old interface – go figure.  The bottom half of the slab was fist+ in hardness. There was no real evidence of wind effect that I could see, but the ridge top is well forested.
While exiting the area I found a slope that was more easterly, less north, that had a bit of open terrain above it and found a drifted start zone about 20″ deep. I made a fast ski cut conservatively just short of the slope and produced a shooting crack about 30 feet but the slope failed to release.

Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 01/07/2019
Name: ADB

Subject: Snodgrass-GFP
Aspect: East, South East
Elevation: BTL

Avalanches:

Weather: Obstructed skies, light wind, S2 snowfall

Snowpack: last 48 hours: 10 to 16 inches of new snow.

with equipment-weight of skier is 121 lbs.
off skin tracks, continuous and consistent cracking isolated to area surrounding the skin track; collapsing to a depth of 16 inches.

Disclaimer: highly qualitative tests. cuts were made with ski poles.
Hand tests:
East aspect in aspens: CT3 Q2 with failure on buried surface hoar (?) 8 inches below surface.
SE Aspect in the trees: CTN Q2 on melt freeze crust 8 inches below the surface
West Aspect on road cut uphill of weather station: CTN Q1/Q2 on melt freeze crust 16 inches below the surface.

Photos: