Anthracite Mesa

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/15/2015
Name: Zoe S. & Heather B.
Subject: Anthracite Mesa
Aspect: North, North East, East
Elevation: 10,500

Avalanches: No avalanches observed in the area toured, but observed some small point release avalanches across the valley on Whetstone.
Weather: Broken/ Scattered Clouds , No precipitation, Calm winds no evidence of blowing snow.
Snowpack: HS 50cm
Measured 15 cm of 0.5-1mm precipitation particles on top of 35cm of 1-3mm facets. Fist hard density throughout the snowpack. No evidence of wind slabs found in the area toured (glades south of coneys on anthracite mesa).
Ski Pen 40cm, Boot Pen 50cm. Snow was completely unsupportive off of the skin track.
Snow temperatures: Snow Surface -10C. 20cm down -3.5C. 40cm down -2C.

Snodgrass Weather Station

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/15/2015
Name: Ellie Southworth
Subject: Snodgrass Weather Station
Aspect: North
Elevation: 11,000 feet

Avalanches: None
Weather: Light snow in the AM, slight clearing in the afternoon . Light to moderate winds from the NNE.
Snowpack: About 3 inches of new snow sitting on top of 4F 2mm facets. Snowpack 67 cm on north aspect near the weather station.

Gothic

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/15/2015
Name: billy bar
Subject: Gothic
Aspect:
Elevation:

Snowpack: (7am observation) Gothic was missed again with just 1½” new snow and 0.10″ water. Steady wind, 5-12 with gusts to 24, gusting mostly in the past 4 hours. Most of the snow was before midnight. There is 15½” of snowpack. Little to report.

Irwin Cat Terrain Observations

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/14/2015
Name: Irwin Guides
Subject: Irwin Cat Terrain Observations
Aspect: East, West

Weather: Overcast with Light snow, winds were Moderate SSW. Storm slow to start, at 3 pm it got going with S2. 1″ new.
Snowpack: East: Variable snowpack with lots of facets. Anywhere from 4 to 50 cms. Lots of rocks, grass and wind textured surface.

West: Variable snowpack with average HS 30-45cm’s, mostly weak faceted snowpack. Hard wind slab felt (10cm’s) but not reactive with ski cuts or shots.

Mountain Weather 12/15/15

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 12/15/2015

The closed low that is responsible for our current weather has moved over Colorado and is about to start its journey up to the Great Lakes. Our best shots for enhanced snowfall have mostly passed, with Irwin doing ok, but we just missed out on a better band of snow to our north, where Snowmass is waking up to about 12” this morning. Available moisture is now starting a drying trend but Colorado is transiting to northwest flow behind this low. This is a more favorable orographic flow for us. So today we should see continued light snowfall with accumulating snow mostly west and north of Crested Butte. Then snow showers will become more scattered tonight and into Wednesday with little accumulating snow during that period.

Today

High Temperature: 8-13
Wind Speed: 5-15 G25
Wind Direction: W, NW
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 2 to 4

Tonight

Low Temperature: -5 to 0
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: NE, NW
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 0-2

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 7-12
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 0-2

Mountain Weather 12/14/15

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 12/14/2015

The Pacific trough closes off over Utah today, issuing deep moisture into our region under southwest flow. Snowfall looks to kick off late this afternoon with a couple of inches possible before sunset, and gets a boost as a weak cold front arrives tonight. Flow swings around to the northwest as the low moves overhead into Tuesday. The combination of deep moisture and northwest flow does well for Kebler Pass and Paradise Divide, and we could see up to a foot of new snow by Tuesday evening in these areas, with half of that closer to town.

Today

High Temperature: 22
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: S, SW
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 1-3″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 8
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 2-5″

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 12
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 3-6″

Coneys Obs

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/13/2015
Name: Evan Ross and Heather
Subject: Coneys Obs
Aspect: East
Elevation: 10,000-11,000 ft

Avalanches: None
Weather: Clear, sunny, warm, no wind.
Snowpack: HS 25-40cm. Little bit of wind crust near ridge line and on a few rollers. Otherwise ski pen to ground and faceted snowpack

Small natural wind slabs on Mt. Owen

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/13/2015
Name: Zach Guy
Subject: Small natural wind slabs on Mt. Owen
Aspect: East, South East
Elevation: Above treeline

Avalanches: 3 natural wind slabs, all very small in size (~6″ deep) that likely failed last night on E and SE aspects above treeline.  SS-N-R1-D1-I
Weather: Clear skies, light to moderate westerly winds. Light snow transport with small plumes off of peaks. Mild temps.
Snowpack: Recent storm snow was wind affected above treeline, drifts up to 6″ deep with shooting cracks.

IMG_5352

Mountain Weather 12/13/15

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 12/13/2015

We’ll see low level clouds burn off through the day under a fast moving transitory ridge. The next system has already moved onshore over California. A deepening trough bring snowfall back to our mountains starting midday on Monday. Flow will initially be out of the southwest, with the best jet support staying to our south. We should see a few inches during the day on Monday. Cold front passage and more favorable flow arrive Monday evening into Tuesday as the trough closes off and passes overhead. 5″ to 10″ looks like a safe bet by the time this system exits on Tuesday night.

Today

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

Tonight

Low Temperature: 15
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 22
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: S, SW
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 1-3″

Conradical

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/12/2015
Name: than
Subject: Conradical
Aspect: North East
Elevation: BTL

Avalanches: none
Weather: warm, cloudy, calm, intermittent light snow
Snowpack: Beat. Pockets of sugar between frozen old tracks. 3 inches of new. Reminded me of a dead beaver I found last summer (see photo).

beaver-on-a-stick