Jan 14 Coney’s Ridge

CB Avalanche Center2014-15 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 01/14/2015
Name: Billy Rankin
Title: Jan 14 Coney’s Ridge
Aspect: East
Elevation: 11,000′

Avalanches: Old Avalanche way left in Bowl in classic convexity. A couple very small slides observed off West face Gothic just below ridgetop, A couple small shallow windslabs far end of Schuykil Ridge. Also small insignificant D1 or smaller.

Weather: Clear, high temps felt in the 20’s, strong solar radiation, light wind. Winds up high blowing plumes off Gothic peak and Baldy looked North, maybe North East.

Snowpack: Skied far left side of bowl, avoiding steeper convex roll. First turn of the ridge skis punched through a lot of the snowpack. On tenth turn my partner felt a small collapse right below the ridge that produced a 15′ wide crack. Skiing was feeling trap door ish with very weak mid pack. Windloading patterns on Gothic and Schuykil Ridge looked from winds out of the NNW.

Mountain Weather January 14, 2015

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: 01/14/2015

The closed low that brought unsettled weather earlier this week is shifting south and east through Arizona and New Mexico today. Clouds have already cleared out as high pressure and dry northwest flow return to our region. The rest of the work week will bring sunny skies and a gradual warming trend in the mountains, while inversions set up in the valleys. A chance for snow returns this weekend.

Today

High Temperature: 27
Wind Speed: 3-13
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
Snow: 0

Tonight

Low Temperature: 10
Wind Speed: 3-13
Wind Direction: N
Sky Cover: Clear
Snow: 0

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 30
Wind Speed: 2-12
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Clear
Snow: 0

Taylor Peak

CB Avalanche Center2014-15 Observations

Location: Brush Creek Area
Date of Observation: 01/10/2015
Title: Taylor Peak
Aspect: South East, South
Elevation: ~11,500

Avalanches: This hard slab avalanche appears to have stepped down around the cliff band. Observed 10th of January but expected failure occurring post late December cycle.

Weather: Sunny, 29 degrees F.

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Anthracite Mesa

CBAC2014-15 Observations

GUIDE(S): JSJ
DATE: 1/13/15
ACTIVITY: BC Ski
LOCATION: Coney’s
ELEVATION: 9000′ – 10,800′
ASPECT: N-E-SE

WEATHER: Overcast through most of day. Snowing S1 with periods of S3. Calm winds.

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: 20cm storm snow with no wind. Preserved surface hoar layer found below the new snow but finding it non-reactive to quick informal stability tests. An instability was found in the top 5-10cm of the snowpack at what was seeming to be a slight density change in the recent storm snow, as it got heavier with rising daytime temps during the storm today. Minimal problem now…worth re-visiting at it gets buried deeper. Triggered 2 small (D1) loose snow slides on steep low elevation terrain features with convex rollovers, as expected. No other instabilities seen.

Gothic

CBAC2014-15 Observations

No snow yesterday despite clouds but then starting after dark.  Light but steady all night with 5½” new and water a light 0.28″.  No wind.  Snowpack at 35½”, below average but deepest so far this winter.  Snow surface was hard and crusty in most locations and this light density snow will probably not effect it too much for now.

Cloudy and calm but no snow currently.  Overnight temp. range just 19 to 21ºF.

Mountain Weather January 13, 2015

CB Avalanche CenterWeather

Date: January 13, 2015

The center of the closed low is circulating along the Nevada/Utah border this morning. There’s not as much moisture on the back end of this system, but we’ll see some continued flurries today, with the Kebler and Paradise Divide areas favored. Cooler, dryer northerly flow will fill in as the low moves east, with dry weather through the rest of the week.

Today

High Temperature: 25
Wind Speed: 0-10 mph
Wind Direction: S, SW
Sky Cover: Overcast
Snow: 2-5″

Tonight

Low Temperature: 12
Wind Speed: 3-13 mph, G25
Wind Direction: E
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Snow: 0-2″

Tomorrow

High Temperature: 22
Wind Speed: 3-13
Wind Direction: NW
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Snow: 0

Wet Slab off of Cinnamon

CB Avalanche Center2014-15 Observations

Title: January Wet Slab
Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 01/10/2015
Aspect: South West
Elevation: 11500- 10000
Weather: Sunny, warm some clouds

Avalanches: Wet Slab off Cinnamon ran from ice cliffs to valley bottom. 8-15 inch crown ran approximately 1500 feet and left debris at “valley of Death” 20 feet high. Appeared to be 1-2 days old.

Snowpack: Prolonged High Pressure. Facets on the North…. Melt Freeze on the Solar aspects

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Anthracite Mesa

CBAC2014-15 Observations

GUIDE(S): Scott
DATE: 01/12/2015
ACTIVITY: Ski touring
LOCATION: Anthracite Mesa/ Coneys
ELEVATION: 9,500 to 11,000
ASPECT: NE-E

WEATHER: Temps in the 20’s. Cloud ceiling of 10,500 at the trailhead, gradually rising throughout the day. Sun visible around noon, and remaining until 3. Winds calm to light throughout the afternoon.

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: 3cm buried surface hoar layer found at all aspects and elevations where I dug including ridge top. ECT near ridgetop provided no result on the December 13th layer 80cm below the surface. HST was between 10-15cm depending on elevation, no evidence of wind transport.

Snodgrass

CBAC2014-15 Observations

GUIDE(S): Donny
DATE: 15-01-12
ACTIVITY: Ski touring
LOCATION: Snodgrass
ELEVATION: 9,600’ to 11,150′
ASPECT: SE-S-SW-W-NW

WEATHER: Mostly cloudy, no precip, calm and warm.  It was “Africa hot” in Wash Gulch as we toured out – a product of a greenhouse effect, I would guess.

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: 4” of new snow from yesterday (maximum).  We skied the west aspect of Snodgrass down to Wash Gulch.  We had no signs of instabilities.  The ski pen was 20 to 40 cm.  The 12/13 interface could not be felt in the shaded areas.