Gothic Morning Update
Date: 2/22/15
Not much here with 4″ over the past 24 hours and 0.25″ water (a big storm for this winter). The snowpack is at 35½”, just ½” below the winters deepest of 36″ on Feb. 04 (the average depth for this date is 59″). Currently calm after strong gusting yesterday, with only light snow falling. billy
Mountain Weather January 22, 2015
Date: 02/22/2015
The next phase of a prolonged winter storm will get underway today. We are currently under a moist and unstable southwest flow. Weather models are forecasting several weather conditions that will add lift to this moist air and create a ban of heavy snow passing over our area around midday. Snowfall numbers are currently looking impressive for the next 24 hours. A closed low will be tracking just below Colorado south boarder through the start of the week. This low will continue spinning moisture into our area as we head into next week.
Today
High Temperature: 15
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: S
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 7-10
Tonight
Low Temperature: 8
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: S
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 7-10
Tomorrow
High Temperature: 22
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: SW
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 4-7
Gothic
NAME:Â JSJ
DATE: 2/21/15
LOCATION: Gothic
ELEVATION: 9,400-11,150′
ASPECT: W / NW / SE / S / SW
WEATHER: showery and convective day of precip. Mostly overcast with and S2 precip with periods of S5 precip followed by broken skies and sunny spells. Gusty NW winds at ridge top and SW winds closer to valley floor.
SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: 10-15cm new snow by 1600. Mostly low density and not slabbing up where sheltered from wind. Snow pit test profiles on a 34* NW aspect at 10,800′ showed buried SH layer down 20 cm reactive to shovel tilt test. Compression Test results repeatedly failed with moderate force and resistant planar fracture character at the basal facets 90cms down. Solar aspects had a 15cm thick MF crust below new snow and zero instability on a 36* slope. New snow seems to be bonding well to old snow surface where it is resting on a roughed up MF crust on solar aspects.
Coney’s
NAME: Dave
DATE: 2/21/15
LOCATION: Coney’s
ELEVATION: 9,500-10,903′
ASPECT: N – E
WEATHER: Snowy day of precip. Mostly overcast with and S2 precip with periods of S5 precip followed by broken skies and sunny spells. Gusty NW winds at ridge top and SW winds closer to valley floor.
SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: New snow ranged from the trail head to north end of coney’s 5 -15cm new snow by 1700. Skin track was completely covered on our way out. Â Mostly low density snow, moderate period of wind later in the afternoon. Â Compression Test with no results.
Cement Creek Area
LOCATION: Cement Creek Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 02/21/2015
NAME: ADB
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 02/21/2015
NAME: ADB
SUBJECT:
ASPECT:
ELEVATION: BTL
ASPECT:
ELEVATION: BTL
WEATHER: Mixed bag of weather: Visibility ranged from 0.1 km to 2 km. Rates of snowfall ranged from S-1 to S2. Winds ranged from calm to light. No snow was transported.
SNOWPACK: Previous snow totals ranged from 1cm to 4cm.
UPLOADS:
Snodgrass Level 2 Obs
LOCATION: Crested Butte Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 02/20/2015
NAME: Irwin Guides Level 2 Avalanche Course
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 02/20/2015
NAME: Irwin Guides Level 2 Avalanche Course
SUBJECT: Snodgrass Level 2 Obs
ASPECT: East, South East
ELEVATION: 9300-10300
ASPECT: East, South East
ELEVATION: 9300-10300
WEATHER: ELEVATION: 9300’ to 10,200′
ASPECT: SE – E
Broken to overcast skies, snowing S2, moderate west winds at 9,900’ (but strong to extreme winds at Snodgrass trailhead), temp 0ºC. Winds seemed to ease a bit through afternoon. Pulses of convective activity passed through all afternoon, but total accumulation was about 2cm by 3:30PM.
SNOWPACK: Class activity for day was a full profile. Pit was located at 10,200’ on an east aspect, 17º slope. (See weather info above.) HS 88cm; HN24 2cm (rimed stellars); Tsurf -3.5ºC. Snowpack was a combination of facet layers, with 3mm DH in the bottom 10cm. Most dramatic interface was 25cm below surface; but didn’t appear to be buried SH and did not react to compression tests (although it was a 17º slope). Most interestingly, the facet layer from 10cm to 37cm was 1F and may have been sintering.
Gothic Storm Observations
LOCATION: Crested Butte Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 02/20/2015
NAME: Irwin L1 Hut Course
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 02/20/2015
NAME: Irwin L1 Hut Course
SUBJECT: Gothic Storm Observations
ASPECT: North East, South, West
ELEVATION: 9000-10000
ASPECT: North East, South, West
ELEVATION: 9000-10000
AVALANCHES: none yet
WEATHER: overcast in am, snowing and blowing in afternoon, clearing out to broken skies at sunset.
SNOWPACK: 7cms of new snow on West slopes at 10k above townsite. Resting on stout MF crust (10cm thick) on solar aspects. Strong winds blowing new snow around from NW at ridge top and down valley N winds at valley floor. No new instabilities noted (yet).
Mountain Weather for Saturday, February 21st, 2015
Date: 02/21/2015
The atmosphere has had a lot of work on its hands to carve a trough and moisten the atmosphere after the long stretch of dry weather we have had. Yesterday was the preamble, the first wave of cooler, moister air to prime the pump for snow production tonight and tomorrow. Today expect showery precipitation and gusty west winds above treeline once again, but as the day progresses, more steady snow should fall, aided by daytime heating and upstream moisture finally arriving. Tomorrow is our big day. NOAA has hoisted a Winter Storm Warning for the upper Gunnison Basin, and we have the potential for 1-2 feet of snow by Monday. Looking ahead, more snow hangs in the forecast.
Today
High Temperature: 20-25
Wind Speed: 10-20 G40
Wind Direction: SW, W
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 3-6″
Tonight
Low Temperature: 10-15
Wind Speed: 5-15
Wind Direction: S, SW
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 3-6″
Tomorrow
High Temperature: 15-20
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: S
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 6-12″
Kebler Pass Area
LOCATION: Kebler Pass Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 02/20/2015
NAME: Zach Guy
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 02/20/2015
NAME: Zach Guy
SUBJECT: Kebler Pass Area
ASPECT: South East, South, South West
ELEVATION: 10,000-12,000 feet
ASPECT: South East, South, South West
ELEVATION: 10,000-12,000 feet
SNOWPACK: Significant pre-frontal winds (strong to extreme at all elevations) worked the snow surface over. Trace of new snow. Maybe an inch of pinecone/pineneedle accumulation.