Mountain Weather

CB Avalanche Center March 11, 2017Weather

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 Center March 11, 20172016-17 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 Center March 10, 2017Weather

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 Center March 10, 2017Weather

Date: 03/10/2017

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 Center March 10, 20172016-17 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.

Scarp to Peeler

CB Avalanche Center March 10, 20172016-17 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 03/09/2017
Name: Ian Havlick

Subject: Scarp to Peeler
Aspect: North, North East, East, South East, South
Elevation: 10,000-12,000

Avalanches: numerous D1 wet loose on SE-S-SW facing slopes.
Weather: clear, 20mph westerly breeze at ridgetop kept ambient temp feeling cold, but strong solar and temps softened all but due north
Snowpack: Did not dig, but all but northerly snow surfaces became moist with temperatures and solar. Snow grains are transforming to granular corn where previous winds last week kept new snow from acccumulating. New snow still has a few more days of freeze/thaw before proper corn develops on e-S-W facing terrain. On shady northerly slopes, surface snow has faceted 20-40cm but underlying snow reamins slabby above facets.

3/9/17 Hot and Cold avalanche concerns

CBAC March 9, 2017Videos

3/4/17 Persistent Slab in Paradise Divide

CBAC March 9, 2017Videos

East Beckwith

CB Avalanche Center March 9, 20172016-17 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 03/09/2017
Name: Zach Guy

Subject: East Beckwith
Aspect: North East, East, South East, South
Elevation: 10,000-12,350 ft.

Avalanches: Observed about 20 skier triggered and natural wet loose avalanches, mostly D1 to D1.5 in size, although a couple were large enough to bury someone. These were primarily on steep and windsheltered E to SE to S aspects NTL. It seems higher elevations got so blasted by winds that the surface was too dense or crusted for wet concerns under today’s weather. See photos.
Weather: Warm, few/scattered thin clouds. Light winds.
Snowpack: On SE to S aspects NTL, there was 3″ to 10″ of very wet to slushy snow over a firm frozen crust, sliding easily steep slopes.
A pit on a NE aspect NTL showed a mix of hard propagating and non-propagating results on facets below a crust about a foot deep. (ECTP22, ECTN x 3, PST 80/100 END). Above treeline, it looked like a number of suspect northeasterly slopes saw some amount of persistent slab scouring during the recent extreme wind event.

Skier triggered “slub” in action.

D1.5’s. SE aspect NTL

D2 SE aspect NTL.

S aspect NTL. Slow moving skier triggered wet loose avalanches, D1.5. Some failed with a little slab-like propagation.

NE aspect ATL. Old persistent slab crown visible in the shadows. Note the slab erosion textures across much of the face.

D1.5 SE aspect NTL

Mix of non and propagating results on buried faceted crust 30 cm deep. PST 80/100 END shown here.

D1.5, S aspect NTL.

Mountain Weather 3/9/2017

CB Avalanche Center March 9, 2017Weather

Date: 03/09/2017

Another warm, spring day is on tap today with temperatures at 11,000 feet and above climbing into the mid to upper 30s today and tomorrow. We will see an increase of westerly wind increase midday, especially near ridge top, before decreasing toward sunset. Tomorrow looks even warmer, before temperatures moderate slightly. Next chance of significant precipitation is 7-10 days away.