Lawinenlagebericht

Northwest Mountains

Crested Butte Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Wed
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 4 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

By choosing slopes with a uniform snowpack deeper than about 5 feet (150 cm), it is appropriate to step out into more aggressive terrain choices right now.   In the Northwest Mountains, there is a rare chance that you can trigger a large and unsurvivable avalanche from terrain with an unusually shallow snowpack. Evaluate snow depths and terrain carefully at wind-affected higher elevations where slopes with a thin and variable snowpack are more common.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Unlikely
    Größe
    2–3.5

    On most slopes in the Northwest Mountains, faceted weak layers are buried deeply and becoming unreactive to triggers.  Some slopes have unusually shallow or variable snow depths where riders may be able to trigger a hard slab several feet thick or more.  Be cautious of windward terrain features with variable depths, rock bands, and slopes that previously avalanched in early December where you are most likely to find a thin trigger point.   The safest riding is where the snowpack is uniform and consistently deeper than about 5 feet (150 cm).  

     

    This large avalanche failed on Ruby Peak around January 18th.  This exemplifies the type of terrain with lingering concerns.  It's a windward slope with below average snow depths and numerous rocky areas.  

Avalanche Discussion

The snowpack is finally catching a reprieve from the almost constant loading since mid-December.  With each passing day of dry weather, weak layers under distress further adjust and the threat of triggering a dangerous avalanche gradually declines.  With Colorado's persistent weak layers in mid-winter, I look for more than a week without loading before I start to gain trust in the more suspect slopes.  We'll see the danger continue to decrease over the next few days of generally quiet weather now that we are nearing a week since the last significant snowfall and a few days since the last major wind-loading event.  

In the Northwest Mountains, there are fewer suspect slopes because the snowpack is so deep that weak layers are generally out of range for human triggers.  Although the likelihood is quite low, the potential size remains very consequential.  Most features of concern exist near and above treeline, especially on windward terrain features or on slopes where winds tend to carve out variable snow depths across a slope.  There are a lot of big lines and steep terrain that don't fit this description, and that is the type of terrain to step out into first this week.   The distribution of troublesome slopes is more common in the shallower parts of the Southeast Mountains, such as lower Cement and Brush Creek, or again, in wind-affected alpine terrain where slab depths are more variable.  Thus, in the Southeast Mountains, we are showing a higher likelihood and broader distribution that spans all elevations. Wherever your travels take you, choose routes that minimize exposure to shallow and rocky areas, and instead, target objectives with a deep and uniform snowpack.  

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