Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 04/04/2020
Name: Eric Murrow
Subject: Cloudy, windy, and warm
Aspect: East, South East, South, South West
Elevation: 9,200′ – 12,000′
Avalanches: Observed a couple of older Wet Loose avalanches from several days ago on E and SW aspects, very small in size.
Weather: Mostly cloudy skies with a few snowflakes. Moderate west-southwest winds near treeline. Very short and sporadic periods of sunshine through around 2pm.
Snowpack: Traveled mostly through southerly aspects below and near treeline. East through southwest aspects near treeline remained frozen or became slightly moist through 2pm. Locations exposed to the wind did not soften at all while protected locations became slightly moist. Crusts on SE, S, SW near treeline were quite thick around 4 to 6 inches. This area received relatively little snow with the last storm so there was not much snow to transition. It wasn’t until about 10,500 that surfaces became wet. Crusts barely remained intact below treeline with boot penetration occasionally to ground in shallow places. Wet Loose activity did not develop through 2pm but with a bit more sunshine it certainly would have.