Lawinenlagebericht

Gunnison

Crested Butte Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Mon
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
3 · Erheblich
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Kernpunkte

A Special Avalanche Advisory is in effect. Multiple feet of new snow and ongoing wind loading have created dangerous avalanche conditions. Large to very large avalanches are reactive to human triggering, and additional natural avalanche activity continues to be possible. Obvious signs of instability may not be present before avalanche release. If those warning signs are not present, then keep that head game strong, and don't be lured into terrain choices that don't match current conditions. Consider lower elevation, southerly facing slopes as a starting point to get out and enjoy that new snow while managing slope angles and steeper overhead hazards. 

Many roof avalanches have also occurred recently and will continue to occur today as temperatures warm. Keep an eye out for these overhead hazards, and don't let children play below rooflines that are full of snow. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Storm Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1–2.5

    Numerous storm slab avalanches have released in the last couple of days. Avalanches breaking within the new snow remain a concern today, primarily above 11,000ft and in areas with additional wind loading.  These avalanches will be less likely but not impossible to trigger at lower elevations. Avalanche release will also be less likely on slope angles under 35 degrees, and the avalanche problem can further be avoided on slope angles under 30 degrees. 

    This storm slab was remotely triggered in Red Lady Glades on Friday. 

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    2–3

    Exceptionally weak facets and collapsible crusts are widespread on the northern half of the compass and on some sunnier aspects at higher elevations.  Slabs on top of these weak layers are 2 to 3 feet thick and even bigger on wind-loaded slopes. A triggered avalanche could propagate across multiple terrain features and step down into old layers near the ground. Given how thick slabs are, don't expect obvious warning signs before an avalanche releases. These issues are less common on most southerly aspects and can be avoided on slope angles consistently less than about 30 degrees that are not connected to steeper terrain above.   

    This is a waist-high crown of a large avalanche that was remotely triggered yesterday by a snowmobile in the Kebler Pass Area. 

Avalanche Discussion

Storm totals since Thursday night are in the range of 3 to 4 feet. That will have doubled the height of the snowpack in some areas. A lot of settlement has occurred in that new snow, so the low angle may now start to ride well as skis and boards don't sink so deeply. Here is the total snow water equivalent for remote weather stations since Thursday night. Schofield Pass: 3.6 SWE. Irwin: ~3.4 SWE. Butte: 3.1 SWE. Upper Tayor: 2 SWE. 

Given the depth of these new slabs, we don't expect many obvious warning signs to exist, such as shooting cracks and a collapsing snowpack. If the week ahead had no accumulating snow or wind-loading, the persistent slab avalanche problem would probably become stubborn to human triggering, faster than we would typically expect. However, we still have some accumulating snow in the forecast, and the big kicker that will continue to produce avalanche activity will be additional wind-loading. Despite how reactive this avalanche problem remains in the coming days, a resulting avalanche will be large and destructive. We don't want to get caught in a 3-foot-deep avalanche that propagates wide across terrain features. That is the type of avalanche that will likely have a bad outcome.

With a break in precipitation, storm slab avalanches will become less reactive. This avalanche problem will eventually become less widespread and transition into a more specific wind slab avalanche problem. Early this morning, 12,000ft weather stations recorded wind speeds increasing into the 20's with gusts into the 40's. There is no visible wind loading occurring at sunrise this morning. However, we will continue to see periods of gusty winds that transport additional snow. 

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