Frozen crusts

CB Avalanche Center2016-17 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 03/12/2017
Name: Zach Guy
Subject: Frozen crusts
Aspect: South East, South
Elevation: 9,600-11,000 ft

Avalanches: Bomber snowpack. No signs of instability.
Weather: Overcast in the morning, with breaks in the cloud cover midday. Moderate winds at our elevation, looked stronger up higher. S-1 in the morning.
Snowpack: Thick, supportive crusts remained frozen on southerly aspects. Ski and boot pen are both ~zero. The grains have matured on these slopes and it appears that they can handle a fairly significant warm-up without wet loose or wet slabs concerns. More concerned with the structure on other aspects or maybe higher elevations for next week’s warmup for wet avalanches.

Stubborn Loose Wet Avalanche

CB Avalanche Center2016-17 Observations

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 03/11/2017
Name: El Duderino
Subject: Stubborn Loose Wet Avalanche
Aspect: North, East, South
Elevation: 9,800-11,700

Avalanches: 2 new (D1, D1.5) off East facing cliffs ~mid-day
a couple of older wet loose
Weather: Warm with hazy high cloud winds gusting moderate to strong. Breeze kept the snow from getting too moist/wet
Snowpack: N, @ 10,600 Forest, CTN, pried off with shovel at bottom of cut. Failing at well preserved graupel layer (1F, crusty, BRKN)
right side up with increasing hardness as descending, with just one skip back to 4F between 1F layers.
glide cracks developing on East under cliffs in multiple zones, but not on North in adjacent terrain
ski cut produced a stubborn little WL on ~38* that quickly stopped as terrain flattened on overcooked S slope. Steeper, larger, more continuous slope would have been worried.

Mountain Weather 3/12/2017

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 03/12/2017

Don’t worry spring breakers, Crested Butte beach weather is only temporarily on hold and will return on Monday. A fast moving short wave trough will impact northern Colorado today, bringing light snow accumulations. Here in the center mountains, we’ll just see increased clouds and elevated gusty winds with a very light snow shower at best. This shortwave begins to move on Monday night as the high-pressure ridge over the western US takes hold again. This ridge will bring dry weather with potently record breaking high temperatures into the midweek.

Today

High Temperature: 36
Wind Speed: 10 to 20 G40
Wind Direction: W, NW
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0 to 1

Tonight

Low Temperature: 20
Wind Speed: 10 to 20
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Snow: 0

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 38
Wind Speed: 10 to 20
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Decreasing clouds
Snow: 0

Shallow wet loose

CB Avalanche Center2016-17 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 03/11/2017
Name: Zach Guy
Subject: Shallow wet loose
Aspect: West, North West
Elevation: 9,000-12,000 ft

Avalanches: A few natural and skier triggered shallow wet loose in the afternoon on very steep, sunbaked slopes.
Weather: Calm to light winds, few clouds, warm.
Snowpack: 3-6″ of wet grains over a solid crust, or moistening dry snow on more northerly tilts.

PS structure near ridgeline

CB Avalanche Center2016-17 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 03/11/2017
Name: Evan Ross
Subject: PS structure near ridgeline
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 9,000 – 11,300

Avalanches:
Weather: Hot baby hot. With calm winds and few clouds.
Snowpack: Not much for any signs of last weeks epic wind storm in Climax area. PS structure at ridegline on a previously wind-loaded terrain feature. CT24 SP down 45cms on old faceted snow with a decomposing slab on top, but still 1f above the week layer. We avoided this terrain feature. Below ridgeline the slab became thiner and more decomposed as the PS structure tapered away.

On a more easterly tilted, steep slope, small loose wet avalanches were easy to trigger. Observed at 9,600ft. Northeasterly facing slopes were still dry at noon.

IMG_3079

Mountain Weather

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 03/11/2017

A pair of fast-moving disturbances will brush across the Elk Mountains, keeping unsettled weather through the weekend but with minimal snow accumulations. This first shortwave is bringing cloudy weather and no precip this morning, but we should see skies starting to clear up by this afternoon. Tomorrow’s system will bring stronger winds and spit a few snow showers if we’re lucky. High pressure begins to redevelop into next week, bringing warming temperatures and clear skies.

Today

High Temperature: 35
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Decreasing clouds
Snow: 0-1″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 22
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: SW, W
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Snow: 0

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 32
Wind Speed: 15-25
Wind Direction: W, NW
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-1″

Irwin Terrain

CB Avalanche Center2016-17 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 03/10/2017
Name: Zach Guy
Subject: Irwin Terrain
Aspect: South East, South, South West
Elevation:

Avalanches: None.
Weather: Thin clouds increased through the day. High of 45/24. SW winds 20-25mph, gusting to 45.
Snowpack: Upper 5-10 cm became wet at lower elevations by PM. Began to refreeze around 3p.m.

Mountain Weather 3/10/2017

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 03/10/2017

Another very warm day on tap, though we will see high clouds spanning across our forecast area. These clouds will help trap daytime heating and contribute to even warmer temperatures than yesterday. West southwest winds will remain generally light at ridge top, with a few moderate gusts ahead of a fast moving disturbance cutting across our area tonight. Clouds will increase toward the afternoon and evening, with a quick 1-4” of snowfall possible overnight. As system moves out tomorrow, sunny skies will return.

Today

High Temperature: 45
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: SW, W
Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
Snow: 0″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 24
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: SW
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 1-4″

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 37
Wind Speed: 10-15
Wind Direction: N
Sky Cover: Decreasing clouds
Snow: 0-1″

Mountain Weather 3/10/2017

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 03/10/2017

Another very warm day on tap, though we will see high clouds spanning across our forecast area. These clouds will help trap daytime heating and contribute to even warmer temperatures than yesterday. West southwest winds will remain generally light at ridge top, with a few moderate gusts ahead of a fast moving disturbance cutting across our area tonight. Clouds will increase toward the afternoon and evening, with a quick 1-4” of snowfall possible overnight. As system moves out tomorrow, sunny skies will return.

Today

High Temperature: 45
Wind Speed: 10-15
Wind Direction: SW, W
Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
Snow: 0″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 25
Wind Speed: 20-30
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 1-4

Tomorrow

High Temperature:
Wind Speed:
Wind Direction:
Sky Cover:
Snow:

Mount Emmons

CB Avalanche Center2016-17 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 03/09/2017
Name: Will Nunez
Subject: Mount Emmons
Aspect: North, North East, East
Elevation: 9000-11300

Avalanches: large cornice fall NE aspect, Mid size wet/dry loose slides on southerly’s aspects all in Redwell Basin
Weather: Clear with hint of hays from the west (dust), hot in the lower to mid elevations with, increasing moderate winds with strong gusts out for the NW.
Snowpack: The wind has affected most slopes W-NW-E NTL and ATL with wind board, textured and sustrugi snow surfaces. NE facing slope at 10,500ft HS 190cm with F hardness 30-40cm down to a faceted interface 4F to 1F blow. It looked as though the weak persisting slab structure has faceted out. Strong solar on S-SE slopes had produced roller balls from hot temp the day prier. No other instabilities with observed.