Crested Butte Area

CBAC2014-15 Observations

GUIDE: JB 

DATE: 201500304
LOCATION: CB Zone
ELEV: 9,400-10,600
ASPECT: S-SW
WEATHER:   SCT to BKN,  winds moderate gusting to strong  BTL & NTL fom NW
Strong winds kicked up ~1:30 & blew in AM skin track in the open fields.  little drifting in forest.
AVALANCHE / SNOWPACK OBS:
Good views of in-numerable slides on E -NE, around long lake, climax chutes, etc
2 collapses in open meadow (S slope @ 27* & 9,500ft)  where the melt freeze crust from mid storm warm up ~20cm down is 1F (4cm thick) over Fist layer.  HS 45cm
1 collapse SW slope @15* & 10,600ft) Similar structure but crust is thinner ) & only 4F.  HS 70cm
Tests @ 10,400 SW 10* slope angle 30*  HS 55cm   Structure: 50cm storm snow sitting on 5cm mfrc (moist poly crystals)
CTM (11) SC 25cm down on 4F mfcr
ECTN (11)  ”     “
ECTN (11)  ”     “
Ski pen 15-25cm

Natural avalanches viewed from Scarp Ridge

CB Avalanche Center2014-15 Observations

LOCATION: Kebler Pass Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 03/04/2015
NAME: Zach Guy
SUBJECT: Natural avalanches viewed from Scarp Ridge
ASPECT:
ELEVATION: various

 

AVALANCHES: We spotted large slides on all aspects, ranging from D2 to D3 in size. Mt. Gothic’s west face and Mt. Afley’s southeast face both produced impressively wide slides (R4). All of Northwest Bowl in the Anthracites ran (R4). The east face of Ruby and north face of Carbon produced large slides. The south side of Peeler Peak had a couple smaller crowns. All of these slides looked fresh in the past 24 hours. Older debris piles from days prior could be seen from slides originating off of Scarp Ridge’s NE slopes and off of Mt. Owen’s east face. Mt. Axtell’s First Bowl ran sometime today, clearing out a swath of small trees on its way to running full track across Coal Creek.

WEATHER: Brief clearing allowed views across the range.
Snow transport picked up in the afternoon under WNW winds and light snowfall. Cold temps. Broken to overcast skies.

SNOWPACK: 13″ overnight.

UPLOADS:

South face of Peeler Peak

DSCF5664-001

East face of Ruby Peak

DSCF5665-001

Fresh debris this evening with snapped trees below Axtell’s First Bowl

DSCF5667-001

Mountain Weather March 4, 2015

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 03/04/2015

Moisture erodes quickly as north flow fills in behind the exiting trough. A few light showers may linger this morning, and skies will start clearing this afternoon. The familiar west coast ridge amplifies, bringing dry northwest flow under a warming trend into next week. It has been a great storm, hasn’t it?

Today

High Temperature: 15
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: W, NW
Sky Cover: Decreasing clouds
Snow: 0-3″

Tonight

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

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 20
Wind Speed: 7-17
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Snow: 0

Mt. Emmons

CBAC2014-15 Observations

GUIDE(S): JSJ

DATE: 3.3.15

ACTIVITY: BC Skiing
LOCATION: Emmons
ELEVATION: 9,100 – 11,600′ 
ASPECT: NE / E / SE / S
WEATHER: All over the place. Ski was anywhere from obscured and snowing S2 to sunny broken spells. Mod-strong winds at treeline transporting snow from the West. 
SNOWPACK / AVALANCHE OBS: 65cms of settled storm snow from past 2 weeks resting on the old MF crust on sunny solar aspects. Overall storm snow is F-4F hard and near and above treeline is drifted into thick, dense, heavy windslabs. Lots of evidence of recent avalanche activity in past 24-48 hours, with many paths now filling back in with current strong WSW winds. Recent natural avalanches observed on steep lee East terrain of Emmons (D1-D2) and filling back in. Recent crowns and slides were also noted in Coon basin on steep S and E aspects exposed to wind loading (D2). Ran full track to basin bottom and already filling back in and forming new cornices in start zones. Many fresh slab avalanches noted on steep rocky shallow slopes below Whetstone on drive into town on HWY 135 this am also.

Gothic Updates

CBAC2014-15 Observations

Tuesday A.M.

Not a lot of new snow but terrible wind going strong most the night but letting up a bit after midnight though still at it.  Gusts reached 50 mph during the night.  Only 4″ new snow with 0.46″ water but substantial snow transport such that breaking trail this morning was easy as the snowpack has already set up.  Water content of snow the past 3 days has gone from 6% to 9% to 11%.  Visibility still flat but i have seen slide debris on lower portions of Snodgrass (though not as much as i had hoped).  Wind continues but with gusts only in the 20 mph area now.  Not a nice day, oh no, not at all.  billy

Mid-day Tuesday

Light to moderate snow through the morning but more significantly the wind has stopped.  Visibility better though cloudy all morning.  I have seen about 6 slab releases on Snodgrass, all small though maybe one you could call almost moderate as it crept into it’s tun-out zone, starting at all elevations.  Prominent feature is steep fracture areas, 1 to 2 feet deep running through multiple snow layers.  The one very large run  off the high point just as one comes out of the trees heading into Gothic did not run and has not all winter, which is a problem.

Gothic mountain is still in the clouds so no defined fractures visible, but some light run out debris is.
billy barr

Snodgrass Natural Avalanches

CB Avalanche Center2014-15 Observations

LOCATION: Crested Butte Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 03/03/2015
NAME: Gary Dotzler
SUBJECT: Snodgrass Natural Avalanches
ASPECT: North East
ELEVATION: 9600-11,000

 

AVALANCHES: Many naturall avalanches visible on Snodgrass looking south from Gothic townsite, Once mountain became visible around 11am Tuesday, March 3, 2015 I could see many natural slides on Snodgrass in all the usual locations. At least 8 slides visible and these are all the parts of Snodgrass furthest from CB, and less skied by town folk. Couldn’t see the popular ski runs on Snodgrass but would assume similar scenario.

I’ve seen Snodgrass with more slides on it, after bigger dumps, which indicates to me that a lot of the un-slid areas are near the tipping point but not quite there for naturals to occur, this would give me pause were I to ski an area that didn’t slide (which I’m not gonna do).

WEATHER:

SNOWPACK:

UPLOADS:

Mountain Weather March 3rd, 2015

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 3/3/15

Here comes the final kick! As moisture moves east of us today, an upper level trough crosses the state, shifting flow from southwest to west to northwest through tomorrow. Unstable air will continue to fuel snow showers. Wind speeds remain elevated today and pick up again tomorrow on the backside of the trough. An associated cold front swoops down from the Northwest tonight intensifying snowfall. Kebler Pass and Paradise Divide can do quite well with this shift in flow direction. Ridging from the West Coast will bring an end to the storm on Wednesday, with skies clearing and a warming trend in the latter half of the week.

Today

High Temperature: 20
Wind Speed: 20-30, gusting to 40 mph
Wind Direction: SW, W
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 5-9″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 0
Wind Speed: 15-25
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 3-6″

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 10
Wind Speed: 10-20, gusting to 35
Wind Direction: W, NW
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-2″

Kebler Pass Obs

CB Avalanche Center2014-15 Observations

LOCATION: Kebler Pass Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 03/02/2015
NAME: Havlick
SUBJECT: Kebler Pass Obs
ASPECT: North, North East, East, North West
ELEVATION: 10-13000K

 

AVALANCHES: N face Ohio, NW shoulder Ohio, numerous D2 slides in anthracites proper. One size 2 on north facing Scarp Ridge observed, as well as fresh windslab on Ruby/Dyke saddle around 1615. pics of axtell crowns

WEATHER: mild, light winds increasing in afternoon from SW. heavy snow started falling at 1700hrs. riming conditions.

SNOWPACK: moist heavy surface snow (6-8″) was reactive in isolated areas to explosives. Minor cracking throughout day.

UPLOADS: