Cement Creek Snow Coverage

CB Avalanche Center December 19, 20152015-16 Observations

Location: Cement Creek Area
Date of Observation: 12/18/2015
Name: Evan Ross

Subject: Cement Creek Snow Coverage
Aspect:
Elevation: 9000,-12,000 along road

Avalanches: Non observed.
Weather: Partly Cloudy becoming overcast in the afternoon. Calm wind.
Snowpack: BTL: Very little snow. About 30cm HS on average. 2″ settled storm snow over facets or crusts.

NTL: Looked like the most continues snow coverage and deepest HS. If persistent slab structure is still intact, this looked like the most likely elevation to find that avalanche problem.

ATL: Snow coverage is mostly confined to gullies and wind loaded areas. Looked very “continental” with generally very little snow coverage.

Phone book style wind slab resting over facets with natural crack running through convexity. HS about 50cm in deepest part of the wind loaded feature. South aspect at 12,000ft

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Northwest side of Lambertson Massif.

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North Facing shaded trees NTL

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West side Italian Mountain

Looking west to Crystal Peak and Star Pass in the distance

NW facing bowl on Cement Mountain

Mountain Weather 12/19/15

CB Avalanche Center December 19, 2015Weather

Date: 12/19/2015

A the high pressure ridge axis moves east of us today, we will see warm southwest flow ahead of the first in a series of Pacific waves. Mountain temperatures will climb into the 30’s above valley inversions today with clear skies. Tomorrow, a poorly organized cold front swings in from the northwest, bringing showery snowfall beginning midday. Accumulations should be less than a few inches by sunset. Unsettled weather continues early next week before a more powerful system arrives Tuesday into Wednesday. Details to come.

Today

High Temperature: 32
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: SW
Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
Snow: 0

Tonight

Low Temperature: 15
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: SW
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 20
Wind Speed: 15-25
Wind Direction: SW, W
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 1-3″

Slate River snow profile

CB Avalanche Center December 18, 20152015-16 Observations, Snow Profiles

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/18/2015
Name: Irwin Level 2 Course

Subject: Slate River snow profile
Aspect: North East
Elevation: BTL

Avalanches:

Weather:

Snowpack: See profile

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Crown profile of skier triggered slide

CB Avalanche Center December 18, 20152015-16 Observations, Snow Profiles

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/18/2015
Name: Zach Guy

Subject: Crown profile of skier triggered slide
Aspect: South West
Elevation: 11,000

Avalanches: See crown profile. Investigated the crown of a unintentional skier triggered slide that occurred earlier in the day. Skier was initially caught but not carried. SS-ASu-R1-D1-O. The avalanche broke on a layer of fist hard facets below 12/11 melt freeze crust. It was on a slightly cross loaded feature, with crown height ranging from 35cm to 20 cm. Approximately 75 feet wide and 200 vertical feet.

Weather: Light snow transport from light to moderate NW winds. Scattered to broken skies. Mild temps.

Snowpack: See profile.

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Mountain Weather 12/18/15

CB Avalanche Center December 18, 2015Weather

Date: 12/18/2015

High pressure is rebuilding over Colorado, bringing clear skies and rebounding temperatures through Saturday. Temps have already risen 10 degrees overnight in town, and we should see them reach the mid to upper 20’s today in the mountains and into the 30’s tomorrow under warm air advection. A series of Pacific waves will begin to impact our region beginning late Saturday night. Sunday’s system looks poorly organized, but it will signal the start of a snowy week.

Today

High Temperature: 25
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
Snow: 0

Tonight

Low Temperature: 15
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: SW
Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
Snow: 0

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 35
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: SW
Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
Snow: 0

Goooooood

CB Avalanche Center December 17, 20152015-16 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/17/2015
Name: Than

Subject: Goooooood
Aspect: North East
Elevation: BTL

Avalanches: None aeen in our area
Weather: Cold, periods of wind with some snow transport, partly cloudy
Snowpack: New snow remained light and good in protected areas. Slabbing up out in open a little. Cut across the top of steep, small convexity with no results.

Very small wind slabs and cornice falls

CB Avalanche Center December 17, 20152015-16 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/17/2015
Name: Evan Ross

Subject: Very small wind slabs and cornice falls
Aspect: East, South East
Elevation: 11,700-12,300

Avalanches: Several very small natural wind slabs and cornice falls on Mount Emmons and Red Coon.
Weather: Blowing snow for several hours around mid day, then quieting down in the late afternoon. Partly cloudy sky with clouds obscuring the upper slate river valley.
Snowpack:

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Quick Kebler NTL/BTL Snowpack

CB Avalanche Center December 17, 20152015-16 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/16/2015
Name: Evan Ross

Subject: Quick Kebler NTL/BTL Snowpack
Aspect: West
Elevation: 10,600, 11,400

11,400ft NTL, west aspect. 4F Wind hardened recent storm snow over 4F 1.5-2mm facet. No results in CT tests and minor cracking with explosives. Slope had seen previous traffic before storm.

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11,600ft, west aspect, BTL. About 10″ resent storm snow over large fist hard facets. No slab, no results other then sluffing in steep terrain.

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Mountain Weather 12/17/15

CB Avalanche Center December 17, 2015Weather

Date: 12/17/2015

This morning we are on the back edge of a shortwave trough that is responsible for our most recent overnight snow accumulations. By about 11am this morning our overnight totals should be in the 3-5” range for the more favored mountains west of Crested Butte. West to northwest winds looks to ramp up a little this morning as well. Snow showers look to decrease this afternoon as available moisture dissipates through the day. Friday through Saturday a shallow ridge builds bringing dryer conditions and warming high temperatures. We’ll see a return to stormy weather on Sunday.