Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 02/07/2019
Name: Eleven Cat Ski Guides

Subject: Irwin Cat Obs
Aspect: East, South East, South, South West, West
Elevation: 10-12,000ft

Avalanches:

Only a few minor results from ski cuts pulling out storm slabs in Way Long & R2 below
Sunset. Overall Storm slab/wind slab was stubborn to ski cuts, but reactive to Size 1s with explosives. No
visibility to observe surrounding terrain.

Weather: Unable to gain access to ridge cat drops; extreme winds, low visibility and wind chill
values shut us down! Cold day with strong to extreme gusts and temps intensifying around 11:00 throughout
the remainder of day. Skies went to BRK at 1630.

Snowpack: Morning started out similar to yesterday, but as winds increased the storm slab
stiffened dramatically through the day. Ski quality was stiff cream cheese with wind slabs lower on slope
that would stuff the relaxed, laid back skiers. Protected terrain held the most quality. We are now riding
the slab and skier penetration is decreasing dramatically.
Avalanche observations:

Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/06/2019
Name: Dave Bumgarner

Subject: Snodgrass tour & remote trigger
Aspect: North East, South East
Elevation: 9,600 – 10,8000

Avalanches:

We had some whumphs & shooting cracks, Remotely triggered two slides on a SE aspect (photos attached).

Weather: LOCATION: Snodgrass Southern side (NE/E aspect)

ELEVATION: 9,600 – 10,8000

ASPECT: North East/ East

WEATHER: High around mid 20s, Overcast most of the day, Light wind bellow tree line. Precip S1 till around 1300

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: HS ranges from 125 to 155 cm. Moderate results on two quick CT tests. We had some whumphs, Remotely triggered two slides on a SE aspect (photos attached).

Snowpack: SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: HS ranges from 125 to 155 cm. Moderate results on two quick CT tests.
Photos:

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 02/06/2019
Name: MR

Subject: Anthracites storm instabilities
Aspect: North, North East
Elevation:

Avalanches:

Sluffs running far and wide, almost full track in rock, half track in tree, full track in big. Remote triggered baby bowl while skiing rock. All just the new snow.

Weather: Snowing S3, maybe harder at times. Surprisingly little evidence of overnight wind transport. Gusty at times, at times very calm. 8-12 inches new snow

Snowpack:
Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/06/2019
Name: TC

Subject: Mount Emmons
Aspect: South East, South
Elevation: 9,400-12,000

Avalanches:

Poor visibility, so none observed. Expecting a large natural cycle given the snow accumulation and high winds.

Weather: Snowing hard at times. Little to know wind at the trailhead and in the trees, but strong and steady (30+ mph) southwest winds near and above tree-line. Very limited visibility.

Snowpack: New snow in the 15-20 cm range being quickly blown into reactive soft slabs. Unusually large and sensitive cornices on the ridge near tree-line; kicked off a couple of the bigger ones with no reaction on the northeast facing slopes other than sloughing in the new snow. Below tree-line in the glades, the soft storm snow was resting on a firm sun crust in the more open terrain; the crust was less apparent lower down in the aspens.
Photos:

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 02/05/2019
Name: Eric Murrow & Zach Kinler

Subject: Its piling up
Aspect: North, North East, North West
Elevation: 9,200-10,600

Avalanches:

Visibility was limited during day but got a few partial glimpses around higher elevation terrain and did not see any fresh signs of avalanches.

Weather: Winds were moderate with strong gusts at below treeline location. Decent drifts forming on road at valley bottom. Vis was so so for most of the day, but loading observed on open terrain. Precip consistent from 1030 to 3 but very light, accumulations less than an inch (rimed PP and graupel).

Snowpack: New snow accumulations (since Sunday night) at 1pm – 10600′ 33cm with 1.8″SWE, HS in this area around 225cm. Dug a test profile in this area down to below the 1/15 interface. Easy clean sheers in the middle of the new snow. ECTP13 on the new/old interface (2/2) on a thin layer of 1mm facets down 35cm at this location. No results on the 1/15 interface, even when hammering after standard tests. Did not dig to ground but Holiday slab and 1/16&1/18 slab mostly pencil hard. Skinning and stomping on tiny test slopes produced cracks up to a ski length within the storm snow.

Photos:

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 02/04/2019
Name: Sam lesnikoski

Subject: Stubborn but reactive winddlabs
Aspect: North East
Elevation: Near treeline

Avalanches:

Skier triggered an r1 d1 wind slab on second lap. Ski cut same slope before with no result though snow was noticeably stiff underfoot. On second lap the first rider triggered the slide that broke above them but was able to pull out with out issue. Only wind loaded storm snow ran, it went on near surface facets.

Weather: Graybird with building clouds, steady wind at tree line

Snowpack: Dense storm snow, some minor sluffing on steeper pitches, some cracking with very small propagation after stomping on wind loaded knolls.

Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 02/04/2019
Name: Alex Tiberio

Subject: Bi Weekly Snow Study Plot Gothic, CO
Aspect:
Elevation:

Avalanches:

Weather:

Snowpack:
Photos:

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 02/03/2019
Name: Will Nunez

Subject: Red Coon Glades
Aspect: South East, South
Elevation: 9,600-11,000

Avalanches:

5-2” Wind slabs formed in leaward areas SE And where touchy to skier travel, releasing and intraining gully gullie features close to the Kebler TH

No other instabilities where observed

Weather: Sky’s Overcast (OVC) to Obscure (X) at times, Precipitation went from snow (SN) and mixed graupel (GR) S1-S2, Winds out of the S-SW Mod to heavy gusts, with snow plums and transport.

Snowpack: New snow accumulations ranged from 3-6” landing on a 2cm sun crust on S-SE aspects. Surface forms consisted of graupel and new snow, most old ski track where fully covered back up.
Photos:

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 02/03/2019
Name: IG

Subject: Irwin Cat Ski Obs
Aspect:
Elevation:

Avalanches:

No natural avalanches observed. Ski cut triggered D1 slides in everclear, lower moonrise left, round 2 below moonrise, ray, booth, & oswald

Weather: Snowing and blowing all day. Snowing S1 with periods of S2 throughout day but underperformed forecast. Extreme winds throughout day, max gust at ridge 90mph at 2pm! Winds swirling in west wall, upslope and cross slope winds noted on pass through moonrise and thorton’s glade

Snowpack: Wind slab stiffening throughout the day in terrain we travelled. Wind slab not uniformily distributed in travelled areas. Some spots scoured down to firm surface with some noted old tracks. Felt crust below new snow on south aspects. Wind slab developed 1-2ft thick in spots. Sensitivity of wind slab characterized as reactive as we easily triggered small D1 slides with ski cuts.
Photos:

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 02/03/2019
Name: Eric Murrow

Subject: Storm Check out at Pittsburg
Aspect: North East, East
Elevation: 9,200 – 10,600′

Avalanches:

Weather: Lots of wind even at valley bottoms, a low roaring was audible at all times from heavy winds up high. Light graupel from 11am to 2pm while out.

Snowpack: Checking on storm snow at 10,600′ at 130pm – about 5 inches with .6 SWE. Most of the new precip came in the form of graupel.
Open terrain features below treeline were starting to drift and crack – less than a ski length. Storm snow was very cohesive and slab-like. HS through this BTL NE facing terrain was around 150 to 160cm.

Photos: