Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 12/03/2018
Name: Lawson Yow

Subject: stability on SW slopes
Aspect: South West
Elevation: 11,000

Avalanches:

No signs of instability. No cracks, whumpfs, or visible signs of avalanche activity.

Weather: Stormy
Snowpack: 60-100 cm deep
looking pretty uniform in hasty hand pits
Low angle pow

Photos:

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/03/2018
Name: MR

Subject: Pittsburgh
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 9,500-10,500

Avalanches:

A few small debris piles presumably from storm snow instabilities over the weekend. No instabilities felt or seen today on or off the skintrack or while skiing.

Weather: Snowing S1 pretty much all day, cold, low winds
Snowpack: 3 inches new snow. Pole probing off the skintrack in the trees still showed little structure in the snowpack.

Photos:

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/03/2018
Name: Chris Martin

Subject: Red Coon Glades – Whumphs and Shooting Cracks – Touchy Observations
Aspect: South East
Elevation: 11,000′

Avalanches:

N/O

Weather: calm , no drifiting snow observed.
Obscurred cloud cover
S-1 throughout the morning
Snowpack: Skied up through Coon glades today recognizing signs of instability, including whumpfs and shooting cracks that failed at similar depths on our tour up, all the way down to weak layer of facets. Weak layer did fluctuate characteristics on ascent. Appeared as Fist layer 10-15 cm of Basal facets at Pit #1 and changing to a Pencil hard 5cm frozen Layer crust at the ground with 2 mm facets above the crust. Test Results below. Great day to wiggle the low angle slopes.

Shooting Crack Pit #1:
HS 55cm SE Aspect 10,500′
F- 4F – F (top-Bottom)
Slab structure barely present but enough to whumpf, shoot a crack, and Fail on isolation of CT
Failures appearing on 10-15 cm layer of 1-2mm Basal Facets
CTV at crust above 10-15 cm layer of basal facets
No need for a Propagation test here, snow above column failed on isolation as well – see photos

Pit #2:
HS 70cm SE Aspect 11000′
F-4F-1F- P (top-Bottom)
Slab structure present in this pit
@30 cm from surface within storm snow CT 20 Q3 PC
@55cm from surface MFcr observed with 2mm FC directly above crust – PST 45 SF – See video
MFcr about 5 cm thick frozen at the ground

Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/02/2018
Name: Alex Tiberio

Subject: Snodgrass Obs
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 10,000

Avalanches:

None observed

Weather: Partly cloudy skies in AM light snow moving in around 3PM
Snowpack: Still whumping and collapsing. ECTP14 Q1 on a 33 degree slope failing on facets below the thanksgiving snow.

Photos:

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/02/2018
Name: Joey Carpenter

Subject: Kebler Obs
Aspect: North, North East, East
Elevation: 10200-11200

Avalanches:

1. Axtell 4th bowl observed from trailhead area. Appeared to be R1D2 windslab.
2. East bowl above friendly finish windslab. R1D1.5.

Weather: Broken skies from 930-1100am and calm winds -> overcast at 12pm with intermittent S1 snowfall, increasing winds and moderate snow transport at 11200 feet.
Snowpack: Storm snow has gained cohesion (F–>F+) since yesterday in the upper snowpack. NE aspect 11k moderate collapse in flat terrain. N Aspect 11.2k large, rumbling collapse that propagated well away from our party.

Photos:

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/01/2018
Name: Irwin Guides

Subject: Irwin Cat Ski Obs
Aspect: South, South West
Elevation: 10500′-12000-

Avalanches:

Touchy loose dry running fast. No Storm slabs observed today. Collapsing and cracking
still prevalent in previously travelled terrain like outerlimits. Both noticed above and below the rock band.

Weather: Deep day at Irwin. HST 23″ with 2.2″ SWE. Our HS is now sitting at 46″ for the season. Seems like we out performed both the WRF and the Open snow forecast for the second part of the three part storm cycle.
Snowpack: CT and ECT failing on isolation on facets below 11/22 interface.

Photos:

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 12/31/2018
Name:

Subject:
Aspect: East
Elevation:

Avalanches:

Experienced sluffing on slopes greater than 38 degrees.

Weather: Intermittent snow and sunshine with north wind gusting below tree line.
Snowpack: Dry snow with roughly 1.5-2 feet of storm snow on top of weak early season layers. Wind loading even below treeline

Photos: