Crested Butte Area

CBAC2014-15 Observations

GUIDE(S): Jeff Banks
DATE: 20150202
ACTIVITY: BC Ski
LOCATION: Axtel
ELEVATION: 9,000-12,000ft
ASPECT: N-S-SW

WEATHER: Stayed cold under light to moderate breeze (Winds from North & West) & overcast sky.

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: No Avy’s seen 1 collapse @ 12K S facing slope ~20*

Open ridgelines wind blasted Dense shady tree aspects holiding ~10-15cm of good snow on supportive base
southerlies holding very good supportive crust with ~15cm of dense new snow that stayed dry.

Mountain Weather February 4, 2015

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 02/04/2015

The Steamboat area is the only part of the state that caught snowfall last night. Unfortunately, the last few model runs have trended today’s snowfall further north with smaller accumulations for the Elk Mountains compared to yesterday’s models. With plenty of Pacific moisture being channeled into the northern part of the state under a northwest flow and improved dynamics arriving mid-morning, we could still pick up a few inches today in the favored parts of the zone around Paradise Divide and Schofield Pass. High pressure builds Thursday bringing dry and mild conditions through Friday.

Today

High Temperature: 30
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 1-4″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 20
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: W, NW
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-2

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 35
Wind Speed: 7-17
Wind Direction: N, W
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Snow: 0

Natural windslabs off of Mt. Owen

CB Avalanche Center2014-15 Observations

LOCATION: Kebler Pass Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 02/03/2015
NAME: Zach Guy
SUBJECT: Natural windslabs off of Mt. Owen
ASPECT: East, South, West
ELEVATION: Near/Above treeline


AVALANCHES: Flat light but I could make out two fresh debris piles off of the East face of Mt. Owen, about D1.5 in size, ran an estimated 1,500 feet. I’m assuming they were windslabs but couldn’t see the start zones.

WEATHER: Moderate WSW winds, with extreme gusts, with large plumes off of peaks and moderate snow transport. Light snowfall tapered mid-morning. Winds eased in afternoon. Broken skies all day.

SNOWPACK: About 4-5″ of dense, wind affected snow over the Jan 30th melt freeze crust. 1″ of new.

Mountain Weather February 3, 2015

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 02/03/2015

Another moist pulse under Northwest flow will drop a couple more inches of snow this morning followed by a short lull this afternoon. A significant shortwave slides into Colorado this evening into Wednesday, with a jet streak nosing into north/central Colorado tonight bringing gusty winds. Models are indicating the brunt of the action stays north of I-70, but this is the type of pattern where we might see a few inches in town and get surprised by a foot at Schofield or Kebler Pass. Fingers are crossed, snow dance moves unleashed. By Thursday, the high pressure ridge amplifies, driving the storm track north and east, bringing warmer and dry weather into the weekend.

Today

High Temperature: 30
Wind Speed: 12-22, Gusting to 30
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 1-2″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 22
Wind Speed: 10-20, Gusting to 30
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 1-3″

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 30
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 2-4″

Explosive triggered windslabs in Irwin Tenure

CB Avalanche Center2014-15 Observations

LOCATION: Kebler Pass Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 02/02/2015
NAME: Irwin Guides
SUBJECT: Explosive triggered windslabs in Irwin Tenure
ASPECT: West
ELEVATION: ATL

AVALANCHES: 4lb air blast in Lone Wolf removed new cross-loaded snow on the skier’s right. The D2 slide ran nearly full path on the old, wind-affected crust from 20150130, depositing debris up to 2m deep. Two 4lb air blasts in Ski Heroes produced a D1 slide consisting of new snow on the wind-scoured 20150130 interface. In Ski Heroes, a 4 lb airblast produced a D1 on a similar bed surface.

Schuylkill

CB Avalanche Center2014-15 Observations

LOCATION: Crested Butte Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 02/02/2015
NAME: Sovick
SUBJECT: Schuylkill
ASPECT: North East



WEATHER: Light snow, light winds 6-9am. Then calm and clear, 30 F.

SNOWPACK: Recent windloads on ridge from North and South. Fresh, deep wind slab on top 100′ of the run. No signs of instability.

Snodgrass

CB Avalanche Center2014-15 Observations

NAME: Krista
DATE: 2/1/15
ACTIVITY: Avy 1
LOCATION: Snodgrass
ASPECT: ENE
Elevation: 10,000

WEATHER: Mostly clear with steady winds from the north/nw 15mph w gusts 20+

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: Toured up Snodgrass with level 1 Avy class. HS 100cm. Found several layers in the upper 20cm of the snowpack. Wind crust, buried surface hoar, decomposing new snow particles, buried surface hoar again, then ice/sun crust (5cm!) and then another layer of buried surface hoar. Upon digging, the upper pack collapsed. First time above sun crust, second time below crust, failing both times on buried surface hoar layers and failing both times while digging. Persistent slab buried deeper in the snow pack was not reactive to snow tests.

Mountain Weather February 2, 2015

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 02/02/2015

Northwest flow has set up over northern Colorado where several disturbances will impact that area over the next few days. We’ll be more on the fringe of these weather systems but should still see snowfall during this period. This snowfall will mostly be west of Crested Butte due to westerly and northwesterly orographic lift. Things are not looking so good after Wednesday so let’s not talk about that yet. I’m just hoping that February lives up to its name and brings us some bigger winter storms!

Today

High Temperature: 23-28
Wind Speed: 10-20 G 40
Wind Direction: W, NW
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-3

Tonight

Low Temperature: 15
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-2

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 31
Wind Speed: 10-20
Wind Direction: W
Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
Snow: 0-2

Crested Butte Area

CBAC2014-15 Observations

Name: Dave
DATE: 2/1/15
ACTIVITY: Avy 1
LOCATION: Red Coon Glades
ASPECT: S/SE
Elevation: 11,600

WEATHER: Mostly clear with steady winds from the north/nw 20mph w gusts 30+

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: Toured up to the glades with level 1 Avy class. We had a supportive ice/sun crust with 6+cm of new snow which soften things up.  Snow was wind effected near tree line.   Our group observed a sluff avalanche and what looked to be a small crown avalanche on red lady.   There were 2 tracks to the skier right of these slides that were put in early morning prior to the slides.  Not sure if the slides were natural or skier triggered. Continues wind loading throughout the day from tree line up.  Did not see any signs of instability throughout our tour.  The wind layer was starting to slab up in certain areas on the ski down. Skiing was in variable conditions but still good, new snow freshened things up a little.