Avalanche forecast

Northwest Mountains

Crested Butte Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

A dry weather trend and mild-weather continue to decrease the threat of human-triggering a slab avalanche. The greatest avalanche concern remains on wind-loaded terrain at above treeline elevations. If you plan to travel in these locations, careful evaluation of the snow and terrain is recommended. Otherwise don't forget the sunscreen while you are out enjoying the early season conditions. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    Last Wednesday, a small storm with strong winds created slabs on a variety of weak old snow surfaces. These slabs are expected to average around 12 inches thick on wind-loaded above treeline terrain. Plan ahead and use caution on steep terrain features that have received additional wind-loading like the lee sides of ridgelines and cross-loaded gulleys for example. This avalanche problem has become stubborn to trigger and will show little to no obvious signs of instability. Don't let the lack of feedback allow complacency to set in and keep using good travel techniques when traveling through this terrain. 

    An example of a recent Wind Slab on a leeward slope tucked immediately beneath a cornice.  The southeast aspect of Augusta Mountain likely failed on 11/24

Avalanche Discussion

In the Northwest Mountains, heightened avalanche conditions still exist for above treeline elevations. This is primarily for the high terrain along the spine of the Ruby Range where the most snow accumulated during the last storm on Tuesday/Wednesday. We've only observed a few natural avalanches that ran at the end of this storm, Example 1. Now a few days out from that storm, the avalanche conditions are again feeling quiet. Given that these slabs formed over persistent weak layers, we are still cautioning backcountry travelers to make careful evaluations about the snow and their terrain choices. Your eyes will be the best tool for identifying wind-loaded terrain. From there you may observe whether or not there is a slab sitting over weaker facets or faceted crusts. If you decide to travel in that terrain, consider the consequences of a triggered avalanche. Would that avalanche pile deeply into a gully, or push you into exposed rocks? How can you manage the terrain to reduce those consequences?  In the Southeast Mountains, there are few places to find enough of a snowpack to create an avalanche concern. These isolated locations would also be above treeline wind-loaded terrain. This portion of our forecast area received less snow during the last storm, and in the big picture, this area has seen little change from the generally safe avalanche conditions over the last couple of weeks of fairly dry weather. 

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