Boletín de aludes

Southeast Mountains

Crested Butte Avalanche Center
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Peligro de aludes

Tue
Alta montaña
2 · Moderado
Límite del bosque
2 · Moderado
Bajo el límite
2 · Moderado
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Desactualizado: este boletín caducó 5 years ago. Estás viendo condiciones pasadas, no el boletín vigente.

Lo esencial

The threat of wet avalanches will increase through the day as temperatures rise and the sun breaks out.  Plan your tour to finish early or move to colder, northerly aspects as the day goes on.    Avoid traveling on steep slopes where you find mushy or unsupportive wet snow.  On shady aspects, minimize your exposure below large cornices and choose routes with a deeper, more uniform snowpack.  

Problemas de aludes

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Possible
    Tamaño
    1–2

    Wet avalanche activity has been ongoing over the past three days, and skiers have been caught in both wet slabs and wet loose avalanches this week.  Wet avalanches occur as melting snow weakens the snow surface and drains into buried weak layers.  You can easily avoid the problem by moving to colder snow or lower angle terrain.  

    A recent wet slab triggered by meltwater draining to weak layers deeper in the snowpack.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Unlikely
    Tamaño
    2

    Hard slabs that break 2 to 6 feet deep on weak layers near the ground remain a low likelihood concern.  The problem has become increasingly stubborn and isolated, and it has been several weeks since we have observed a persistent slab avalanche.  The most likely scenario for encountering a persistent slab today is if a cornice fall triggers one. There is lingering potential for skiers or riders to also trigger a large avalanche from the margins of the slab where it thins out,  especially at higher elevations.   You can reduce your risk by traveling where the snowpack is deeper and more uniform.  Regroup in safe zones that are clear of unusually wide and long-running avalanches.  

    An example of a thick, hard persistent slab that released naturally in mid-February.

Avalanche Discussion

Our concerns are shifting away from wet loose avalanches and towards wet slabs after last night's mediocre refreeze.   Cloud cover last night put a damper on radiative cooling, which will make for a weaker overnight freeze than in previous days.  Yesterday was also the hottest of the season, with temperatures near and below treeline rising close to 50 degrees.   On the southern half of the compass, yesterday's meltwater is draining deeper into the snowpack towards our well-advertised buried weak layers near the ground.  Several natural wet slabs released over the past few days (Example A, Example B), a skier was caught in a wet slab on Saturday, and a group of skiers yesterday turned away from an objective because of alarming wet slab evidence.  Forecasted cloud cover through early afternoon should help keep surface crusts frozen and limit wet loose activity until the sun pops out later this afternoon.  For managing wet slabs, thick and supportive crusts are more trustworthy than thin, punchy crusts, or worse, a mushy wet snowpack with no crust at all.    This video from yesterday describes some tools for recognizing wet avalanche concerns.  

The good news is that on northerly aspects, the snowpack has remained dry, offering higher quality powder and safer riding conditions.  It has been several weeks since we observed a dry, persistent slab breaking on weak layers near the ground.  This is because we have gone over three weeks without a significant loading event to stress buried weak layers.  It has become very difficult for skiers and riders to trigger persistent slabs.  My biggest concern today for shady aspects is from looming cornices that saw some serious heat this weekend and could act as a trigger for a larger slab avalanche.  

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