Avalanche forecast

Gunnison

Crested Butte Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

It looks like we have a beautiful day coming up and a wonderful time to get out in the mountains. As the daytime high temperatures and that April Sun warms the snow surface, keep an eye out for loose wet avalanches. These are expected to be mostly small in size and just involve the upper few inches of the snowpack. Remember, even a small avalanche in big terrain can pack a punch and push you into something higher consequence. If you find yourself sinking to your boot tops or deeper into wet snow, then you may have found an isolated area where you could trigger a large avalanche. Steep due north-facing slopes are about the only areas that will escape the sun's warmth, and in these areas, you may find yourself managing dry sluffs running in the surface snow. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    On Friday and Saturday, we recorded some new snow accumulating. That new snow has been baked in during periods of sun and hasn't added up to much. Today's loose wet avalanche problem will primarily be located where the recent snow is transitioning and becoming wet. This avalanche problem is expected to be mostly small in size since it will only involve that few inches of snow on the surface. Given the convective nature of the last storms, there are isolated areas that may have received more recent snow and this avalanche problem would be bigger where you find about 6" of wet snow or your boots sink deeply into wet snow. Fresh roller balls falling down slopes will clue you in that a slope is warming up from a distance. While a wet snow surface under your feet will be another obvious indicator. 

    Loose wet avalanches release from a point, such as hot sun-baked rocks in this photo, and grow in size as they descend down the slope.

Avalanche Discussion

The avalanche danger was held at LOW given the expected size and distribution of the loose wet avalanche problem. There just hasn't been enough snow to produce large avalanches, and any large avalanche is expected to be very isolated in the big picture view. We haven't seen too much change in the conditions over the last week, and normal spring conditions have remained. You should be able to find some nice riding conditions on the sunny slopes when they have softened just right and before they become sticky. Due north-facing slopes at mid and upper elevations have held onto cold snow and there have been reports of some fairly good riding conditions in those areas. Northerly winds picked up yesterday afternoon and gusted into the 20's in the alpine. There may have been some snow blown about or blown off the old slick snow surfaces. 

Heading into Monday normal spring conditions are expected to continue. The wind and clouds will be increasing throughout the day and this may keep some slopes from softening or redevelop cruts in the afternoon. 

Today is our last day of daily avalanche forecasts.  We will publish a spring travel advisory on our website on Tuesday.  We would like to thank everyone who supported our avalanche safety mission this season: our sponsors, partners, and all of you who share observations and follow along with our products.  Take a look at our season finale video and have a safe and fun spring!

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