Avalanche forecast

Gunnison

Crested Butte Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Use caution above treeline if you are traveling above terrain traps such as cliffs and gullies.  You can trigger shallow wet loose avalanches in the recent snow as the day warms up.  Yesterday's wind drifting event formed small wind slab instabilities that could linger on a few leeward slopes.  

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Shallow wet loose avalanches can be triggered or run naturally under warming temperatures and sunshine.  Today's wet loose avalanches should be confined to the recent snow, and will be relatively harmless unless they carry you into terrain traps.  Use caution in consequential terrain if you see rollerballs and pinwheels.  Move to mellower terrain or colder aspects to manage the problem.  

    This example of a recent wet loose avalanche demonstrates the expected size.

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1–1.5

    Notable blowing snow occurred during yesterday's westerly wind event.  Watch for thin but stiff slabs below alpine ridgelines and in gullies.   These avalanches should be relatively small, but could be harmful if they sweep you off your feet in high-consequence terrain.  Evaluate the snow surface for signs of recent windloading and consider avoiding terrain features with thicker, denser deposits.  

    This natural wind slab released on a well-drifted, leeward slope around 4/20.  Similar concerns remain today.  

Avalanche Discussion

Notable blowing snow occurred during yesterday's wind event.  Wind slabs that formed yesterday are expected to be thin, stiff, and stubborn to trigger - the type of problem that might break unexpectedly above your or knock you off your feet.  Stay cautious in couloirs, above cliffs, or other terrain traps if you find thicker, denser pillows of drifted snow. 

Cooler, cloudier weather on Sunday and windy conditions yesterday have limited surface warming at upper elevations.  Today's warmer temperatures and quieter winds might cause an uptick in shallow, wet loose instabilities, similar to these recent avalanches.  This problem is fairly easy to recognize and avoid:  Monitor how wet the recent snow is getting and look for rollerballs or pinwheels to signal decreasing stability.  You're more likely to find wet loose instabilities at higher elevations where there's more recent snow that has yet to transition.    

Avalanche activity in the past week has been typically small, involving only the recent snow, which ranged from a couple of inches below treeline to around 10 inches above treeline.  An outlier to this pattern was observed yesterday on Baldy: a massive cornice fall trundling downslope triggered what appears to be an old persistent slab.  It's always good practice to limit your exposure below overhanging cornices, which are more likely to fall during or after wind events and warm-ups.  

Regions covered