Wet snow obs

CB Avalanche Center April 10, 20162015-16 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 04/10/2016
Name: EM

Subject: Wet snow obs
Aspect: North, North East, East
Elevation: 10000 -11500

Avalanches: Several minor point releases on east and north aspects. Nothing gauged in to older snow, limited to new snow only.
Weather: In the morning cloud cover was in and out. The sun was out for much of the morning. New snow accumulations at 11500 were 10cm. Air temps were warm, just above freezing, causing snow on north facing slopes to become slightly moist even in shade by noon.
Snowpack: 10 cms of new snow over the weekend. In one location at 11500,NNE facing, 33* slope had free water make it 30 cm down from surface. At 30 cms it refroze in to an ice lens. It was still approximately 20cm above our most recent dust layer.

Ski conditions were supportive through noon with minor loose and roller activity on north aspects. East facing terrain at noon had lost its support and was very wet.

Mountain Weather

CB Avalanche Center April 10, 2016Weather

Date: 04/10/2016

A closed low over Southern California is spinning warm, moist air into Colorado. The weak shortwave that brought some snow flurries early this morning will exit to our northeast, bringing some patches of sun and warming temperatures. Daytime convection will spur another round of light precipitation this afternoon and evening, falling as snow at higher elevations. Tomorrow is an in-between day, as another low tracks our way from the Pacific. There will e enough lingering moisture for cloud cover a spotty showers again.

Today

High Temperature: 42
Wind Speed: 7-17
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-2″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 27
Wind Speed: 0-10
Wind Direction: N, NW
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-2″

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 42
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-2″

Mountain Weather

CB Avalanche Center April 9, 2016Weather

Date: 4/9/16

A weak wave under southwest flow brought a mix of snow flurries and very light valley rain last night. Residual moisture in it’s wake will keep weather unsettled today, with the chance for some snow showers at higher elevations in the afternoon driven by daytime convection. A closed low treks south of us on Sunday, pumping additional moisture and similar instability on Sunday. This pattern continues into early next week.

Today

High Temperature: 42
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: SW, W
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 0-2″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 28
Wind Speed: 3-13
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-2″

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 42
Wind Speed: 2-12
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-1″

PM wet snow obs

CB Avalanche Center April 8, 20162015-16 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 04/08/2016
Name: Zach Guy

Subject: PM wet snow obs
Aspect: North East, East, South East, South
Elevation: 11,000-12,600 ft

Avalanches: None.
Weather: Warm temps, calm winds, scattered to broken clouds, no precip.
Snowpack: In the afternoon, boot pen into wet grains was shin to knee deep on low angle slopes near treeline, but wet loose problem appears to be becoming unreactive. No rollerballs on steep, slushy slopes facing E, S, SE. Hand pits on NE aspect ATL showed water had reached 2-5″ deep. Surfaces were beginning to slightly refreeze at sunset.

Mountain Weather

CB Avalanche Center April 8, 2016Weather

Date: 04/08/2016

Clear, warm and dry weather will continue today, before clouds start increasing this afternoon. Increased moisture will be pushed into are area this evening from the southwest. We have the chance for some snow tonight but nothing substantial. Tomorrow there will be periods of snow at higher elevations and possibly some light rain in the valleys. Unsettled weather continues into next week with small chances of perspiration and the sun breaking out at times.

Today

High Temperature: 52
Wind Speed: 0 to 10
Wind Direction: SE, S
Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
Snow: 0

Tonight

Low Temperature: 30
Wind Speed: 0 to 10
Wind Direction: S
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 1 to 2

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 48
Wind Speed: 5 to 15
Wind Direction: SW, W
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 0 to 2

Moist snow and persistent slab

CB Avalanche Center April 7, 20162015-16 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 04/07/2016
Name: Evan Ross

Subject: Moist snow and persistent slab
Aspect: North East, East, South East
Elevation: 11,200 NTL

Avalanches:
Weather: Clear sky, calm wind, thin clouds starting to build just before sundown.
Snowpack: Quick obs tour in the late afternoon. See media for specifics.

Aspect ENE, Elevation 11,200, Slope 36. Only the upper inch of the snow surface had become moist. The march 6th (lower dusty interface) continues to produce propagating test results on some slopes. ECTP 21 SP with block sliding off. Interface consisted of 4F 2mm rounding faceted particles. The grains themselves didn’t look to concerning, more concerning was the weaker structure surrounded by 1f hard snow.

IMG_1856

Aspect: SE, Elevation 11,200, Slope 25. Moist snow down to an observed depth of 60cm. First ice lens was down about 55cm. Perc columns where above this ice lens but not below. Surprisingly boot pen was only about 10cm 80% of the time.

IMG_1854

Snowboarder triggered slide on park cone

CB Avalanche Center April 7, 20162015-16 Observations

Location: Cement Creek Area
Date of Observation: 04/07/2016

Subject: Snowboarder triggered slide on park cone north chute towards the dam at Taylor Resevoir
Aspect: North
Elevation: 11,900ft

Avalanches: About a 1 foot deep windblown slab broke loose from the top of the chute and traveled around 500 feet down the slope until it slowed down and stopped. It dragged a snowboarder down the slope about 50-60 feet. He managed to stay upright and cut into a safe zone.
Weather: Bluebird day around 10am
Snowpack: A fairly deep layer of powder up top with hard packed crust underneath.

20160407_111435

Corn to slop

CB Avalanche Center April 7, 20162015-16 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 04/07/2016
Name: Zach Guy

Subject: Corn to slop
Aspect: East, South, South West, West
Elevation: 10,000-12,000 ft

Avalanches: A couple new D1 wet loose on East face of Mt. Owen ATL today.
Weather: Hot day…Temps reached 50F at 10k and 38F at 12k under calm/light winds and few clouds.
Snowpack: Solid refreeze overnight. Good corn skiing in the morning turned to sloppy mush by the p.m. Top 6″ or so hasn’t quite transitioned to mature wet grains yet; skier triggered a few rollerballs on East NTL around 11 a.m. and skier triggered widespread large rollerballs on West aspects around 2:00 p.m.

Mountain Weather

CB Avalanche Center April 7, 2016Weather

Date: 04/07/2016

Little change in today’s weather compared to yesterday. High temperatures will be a few degrees warmer with generally light winds and clear sky. Unsettled weather will return to the area tomorrow afternoon and extending into next week. Late Friday afternoon we’ll see increasing clouds as moisture begins to surge in from the southwest. Friday night into Saturday we should see some snow accumulation but this unsettled weather isn’t looking to impressive. A low pressure system is forecasted to weaken as it reaches Colorado around Sunday night. This could help to produce better snow numbers by Monday morning but we’ll have to wait for later forecasts to see how that system holds together.

Today

High Temperature: 48
Wind Speed: 0 to 10
Wind Direction: N
Sky Cover: Clear
Snow: 0

Tonight

Low Temperature: 28
Wind Speed: 0 to 10
Wind Direction: SE
Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
Snow: 0

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 50
Wind Speed: 3 to 13
Wind Direction: S
Sky Cover: Increasing
Snow: 0

Mountain Weather

CB Avalanche Center April 6, 2016Weather

Date: 04/06/2016

A high amplitude ridge will bring a warming trend and clear skies for the next few days, before a more active weather pattern arrives this weekend. Look for daytime highs and overnight lows to notch up roughly 5 to 8 degrees warmer each day through Thursday.