Avalanche forecast

Gunnison

Crested Butte Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

A mediocre refreeze should offer a short window of frozen crusts and Low danger during the early morning hours.  As the upper snowpack thaws, the danger rises to Moderate as the threat of triggering a full depth wet avalanche increases.  If you are sinking deeply into unsupportive wet snow, it's time to head to lower-angle terrain to avoid triggering a cement-mixer wet slide. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Wet loose avalanches are most concerning where you sink deeply into wet snow. In these areas, point release avalanches that start below your skis or machine can entrain the entire snowpack, becoming powerful and large. In some cases, small wet loose avalanches also trigger bigger wet slab avalanches as they run downslope. Reduce your exposure to this avalanche problem by traveling early in steep terrain before surface crusts thaw or moving to lower slope angles.   

    Full-depth wet loose avalanches were easy to trigger on Thursday.  Similar conditions may develop today. (3/26/2026) 

  • Wet Slabs

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

    Recent wet slab avalanche activity has most often been triggered by smaller wet loose avalanches releasing higher up on the slope. These avalanches can also be human-triggered. The heavy weight of the wet snow will make skiing out of one of these cement mixers nearly impossible.  Temperatures have cooled slightly over the past two days, and natural avalanche activity has greatly diminished as meltwater drainage channels have established on many aspects and elevations.   Recent natural activity occurred on east to northeast and west to northwest aspects.  Wet avalanches are less likely early in the day while the snow surface remains frozen and meltwater production is limited. The hazard increases as the snowpack warms, crusts thaw, and/or free water moves deeper into the snowpack.

    This wet slab avalanche ran midday on Tuesday near Ruby Peak.  It broke several feet deep, starting on a northeast aspect and propagating into an east aspect. (3/24/2026)

Avalanche Discussion

Under a cooler weather pattern since Friday, minimal natural wet avalanche activity has been observed. Due to challenging travel conditions developing each afternoon, we’ve had limited peak-of-warming field observations from the last couple of days.  It’s reasonable to assume that human triggering full-depth wet avalanches (demonstrated in this video from Elk Creek) remain a problem once crusts in the upper snowpack melt.  Most of these will be gouging wet loose avalanches, with a few slopes still capable of wider wet slab failures.  We’ve observed generally supportive refreezes each of the last few nights that offer a period of low hazard in the morning. Some cloud cover overnight likely caused a weaker refreeze last night and will shorten the window of stable riding. 

Looking ahead, colder and snowier weather will reduce full-depth wet concerns by mid week, and will likely introduce shallow instabilities involving the new snow.  

Regions covered