Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 02/10/2019
Name: Joey Carpenter

Subject: Pittsburg
Aspect: North East, East, South East
Elevation: 9200-10600

Avalanches:

Large natural R3D2.5 in east facing alpine terrain of redwell. Estimates, observed from road. Likely ran during storm cycle.

3x R1D2 naturals on the E face of schuylkill mountains eastern ridge line. Viewed from basin, likely ran during storm cycle.

Weather: Bluebird and beautiful. Single digit temps at trailhead quickly rose into the twenties with strong sun. Light breeze kept surfaces cool.

Snowpack: Yesterday evenings strong wind event packed available snow into stiff but stubborn windslabs even in lower elevation bands. We were not able to trigger any on steep, small test slopes. Their presence was obvious though.
Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/10/2019
Name: Avy 2 – Dave Bum

Subject: Snodrass tour
Aspect: North East, East
Elevation: 10,301

Avalanches:

Did not see any Avalanches or signs of instability throughout our tour.

Weather: Temp: -6c
Wind: Calm
Sky: Clear
Precip: None

Snowpack: Pit 1:
Aspect: E
Elevation: 10:300
Incline: 30
HS: 135cm
ECTX
Snowpack was right side up till the (Fist) DH/facets 115cm down 20cm of facets to the ground. None reactive on that interface.

Pit 2:
Aspect: E
Elevation: 10:280
Incline: 30
HS: 150cm
ECTX
CT23 Brk 40cm down, Interface of the last storm snow.
Snowpack was right side up till the (Fist) DH/facets 120cm down 30cm of facets to the ground. Got a CT31+ on this layer
Photos:

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 02/10/2019
Name: Chris Martin

Subject: Maroon Gothic Avery – up to 401 riders trail
Aspect: South West, West
Elevation: 9800′

Avalanches:

N/O

Weather: OVC All day
winds out of SW-W
Low winds throughout the day becoming intense from 4-6pm
Beautiful alpen glow on Mt Cb observed at 1835
TAir around -5C midday
Tsurf -8

Snowpack: No direct signs of instability.
Strong mid pack, supportive.
Shallower snowpack observed in this eastern part of the zone.
Strong snow observed over a weak structure at the base of the snowpack. The depth hoar at the base showed no signs of instability where we were and was on its trend towards healing and consolidation.
P Slab structure identified but unreactive to large column tests. A significant layer of instability was observed 75 cm down consisting of 1mm FC/Cr combo. Sudden results on Cts and no results upon Ects. One PST test executed on FC layer 75cm down PST 40/11 arr.
Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/09/2019
Name: Avy 2 – Dave Bum

Subject: Coneys
Aspect: North East, East
Elevation: 10,445

Avalanches:

Viewed multiple old avalanches (4+ days?) on NE/E aspects below tree line

Weather: Temp: -4.5C
Wind: Calm
Sky: Overcast
Precip: None

Viewed wind loading in the Alpine througout our tour

Snowpack: HS: 185cm-195cm
Multiple Hard results on CTH tests Brk 35cm down from the surface
ECTN on same layer at CT Test
Old interface of Facets to midpack 140cm down still posed concern. Facets seemed to be gaining strength (4F) but still seem to be a concern .

Was a bit surprised of how un-reactive the snow was

Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/10/2019
Name: Chris Benson

Subject: Red Coon Glades Observation
Aspect: South East
Elevation: 11,300′

Avalanches:

No cracking. Our party observed one small collapse however we followed a pre-existing skin track for the majority of the climb.

Weather: Overcast. Moderate SW winds. No significant ridge-top wind transport.

Snowpack: Top of Red Coon Glades. SSE aspect 11,300′ 25slope
Hs 165 cm, Hst 30cm, PF 40 cm, PS 20cm
Small and large column tests did not show results. CTN (x2), ECTX. While the upper snowpack did not produce results, a crust-facet-crust comb down 75 cm produced DTH SC (x2). This same interface also produced PST 45/100 End down 75cm.
Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/09/2019
Name: ADB

Subject: Snodgrass-quiet
Aspect: North East, East
Elevation: BTL

Avalanches:

Weather: Obstructed skies and calm.

Snowpack: No cracking or collapsing on skin track out of Gothic. Snow felt very supportive and stable. Top 8 inches of snow is dense like Sierra but not deep like that snowpack. Poked ski pole down and couldn’t poke past the 8 inches of new snow from this week’s storm cycle.
Photos:

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 02/08/2019
Name: Zach Kinler

Subject: Weekly Weather/Snowpack Summary
Aspect:
Elevation:

Avalanches:

Weather:

Snowpack:
Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/08/2019
Name: Eric Murrow

Subject: Natural activity from early Feb. storm
Aspect: North, North East, East, South East
Elevation:

Avalanches:

Avalanche activity was centered around near and above treeline slopes ( wind was key to this cycle) on north through southeast facing slopes. See photos below for a sampling of activity.

Weather: Clear day for a windshield and snowmobile tour of the greater area.

Snowpack: Only obs are from Cement Creek. Took drive around CB for pics and then ran snowmo out Cement Creek for a quick look around. Valley bottom near Hunter Creek had about 8 to 10inches of new snow, surprisingly little graupel mixed in. Near valley bottom structure was classic Persistent Slab with 1/16&1/18 snow creating a slab over weak garbage from early in the year.

Photos:

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 02/07/2019
Name: Zach Kinler

Subject: Elkton Study Plot visit
Aspect: North East, East
Elevation: 9,000-10,400

Avalanches:

On drive from CB south observed 4 x D1 on E/NE aspects BTL. One on lower Red Mountain and 3 on Gibson Ridge.

Above Long Lake, 3 x D2 E aspect BTL. These ran in previous paths from early/mid January.

Blowing snow creating near whiteout conditions limited views of most avalanche paths.

Weather: Broken skies near town, Overcast skies up valley. Cold and windy with temps in the single digits. Moderate wind at valley floor with strong winds on ridges and peaks with off and on whiteout conditions.

Snowpack: 50 cm since 2/3 at Elkton Study plot, 10,400′. HS now 180 cm at this location. Ski pen 20 cm, Boot pen 53 cm. Recent snow is right side up with stiffer 4F slab from the beginning of the cycle underneath F hard snow from second colder wave.
Photos:

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 02/07/2019
Name: Travis Tucker

Subject: Red Coon Glades Tour
Aspect: South East, South
Elevation: 11,600’

Avalanches:

None observed
Weather: COLD . OVC. S-1 snow, and low visibility. Moderate to Strong winds with larger gusts all day. Moderate + wind transport.

Snowpack: Wind packed snow & stubborn storm slab.
PF 30. Heavy POW.
See images for structure and stability test.

Photos: