Avalanche forecast

Southeast Mountains

Crested Butte Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

You can trigger an avalanche that breaks deeply and grows large on some slopes at upper elevations.  The most concerning slopes show evidence of drifting from the recent northerly wind event or possess highly variable snow depths.  Safer options exist in wind-sheltered terrain.  If you choose to travel on steep slopes, consider the terrain's consequence, expose only one person at a time, and avoid recently drifted features.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Persistent weak layers in the middle and at the bottom of the snowpack have temporarily become more reactive on recently wind-loaded slopes at near and above treeline elevations. These slabs are generally hard, will be stubborn to human triggering, but may produce a larger than expected avalanche if released. This avalanche problem has become less common in wind-sheltered areas, with the last notable avalanche having occurred on 2/1.

    A large persistent slab that was human triggered on Thursday 2/9 in upper Hunter Creek.

Avalanche Discussion

In the Northwest Mountains, the avalanche danger is LOW.  However, a windy period from this past week formed wind drifts at upper elevations that produced human-triggered avalanches on Friday.  There could be isolated drifts from that northerly wind event where you might be able to trigger an avalanche.  If you venture into drifted slopes, consider the consequences of taking a ride in a small avalanche.  Small avalanches can be dangerous above cliffs and terrain traps.  Warming temperatures and sunshine may soften surfaces on sunny slopes depending on cloud cover today.  Monitor surface wetness and if you find more than a few inches of wet surface snow then Wet Loose avalanches are possible, but should remain small and only pose a threat if you are above terrain traps.

The avalanche danger remains MODERATE near and above treeline in the Southeast Mountains due to the risk of triggering a large avalanche on old weak layers deep in the snowpack.  Last week's wind event produced a notable natural avalanche near Hunter Hill that broke near the ground and a snowmobile-triggered avalanche in the same area a day later.  The most concerning terrain is at upper elevations where recent drifting has occurred and on slopes with highly variable snow depths.  Signs of instability like collapsing are unlikely until you find a trigger point and release a dangerous avalanche.  Below treeline slopes have the same poor-looking structure but appear to be unreactive to human triggers hence the LOW danger rating (poor structure on Cement Mountain, poor structure out West Brush Creek).  Even without signs of instability on sheltered terrain below treeline in the Southeast Mountains, the poor structure nudges one to follow standard backcountry protocol like only exposing one person at a time to a given slope and avoiding travel above terrain traps just in case the poor structure decides to surprise you. 

Regions covered