Bulletin d’avalanche

Gunnison

Crested Butte Avalanche Center
Voir sur la carte

Danger d’avalanche

Mon
Alpin
2 · Modéré
Limite forestière
1 · Faible
Sous la limite
1 · Faible
Open full map
Périmé — ce bulletin a expiré 4 years ago. Vous consultez des conditions passées, pas le bulletin en cours.

Points saillants

At upper elevations, careful evaluations are still required to safely manage the potential to trigger a wind slab avalanche. At near and below treeline elevations, you can expect normal caution conditions. The potential for small loose wet avalanches has become isolated in the terrain. If you find several inches of wet snow in steep terrain, this would be a location where you may still be able to trigger a wet avalanche. At lower elevations, you may find surface crusts breaking down and exposing the wet snowpack below, leading to difficult travel. 

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Possible
    Taille
    1–2

    We have seen an active week of wind slab avalanche activity. During this time we have seen 2 backcountry riders unintentionally trigger wind slabs (here and here), several controlled avalanches, and even a natural avalanche cycle in the Ruby Range. The foundation for this avalanche problem has been 2 snowstorms this week, combined with variable wind directions from the SW to W to N. These slabs were failing on low-density storm snow, near ridgelines, and on cross-loaded terrain features. Now after a couple of days of warm temps and good settlement these slabs have become stubborn to human triggering while they are nearing the end of their life. 

    A ski cut released this wind slab on Wednesday March 30th. ESE, 11,900ft.  

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Unlikely
    Taille
    1.5–2

     Slab avalanches breaking into old snow layers have become unlikely to trigger, but this avalanche problem can't be 100% eliminated. The most likely areas to still trigger this avalanche problem would be on a northerly facing slope, potentially from a trigger point where the snowpack transitions from deep to shallow near rock outcrops or wind-eroded terrain, or unsupported steep slopes between cliff bands. If you choose to ride steep terrain on the northern half of the compass, don't expect any obvious red flags related to this avalanche problem, and plan your regrouping areas outside of the potential avalanche runout. 

    Example of a persistent slab avalanche that released in the last couple of weeks on an unsupported slope. 

Avalanche Discussion

After a couple of nice snowstorms this week, the snowpack headed back into the spring transition on Friday afternoon through Saturday. Small loose wet avalanches or rollerballs, were observed all the way around the compass to NE facing slopes. The chance for continued loose wet avalanche activity has greatly diminished now that snow surfaces have already become wet around much of the compass. With the potential avalanche activity further decreasing, the avalanche danger was dropped to LOW at both near and below treeline elevations. Recent warm temps and the strong sun have also decreased the threat of triggering the wind slab avalanche problem that we have been dealing with over the past week. This avalanche problem has become isolated at near treeline elevations and is also nearing the end of its life at above treeline elevations. The avalanche danger is close to trending to LOW at all elevations, but the danger trend is being held steady until we see just how much snow accumulates tonight. With the ski area closing, I don't care what the weather models say. It's got to dump tonight right?

Régions couvertes