Bollettino valanghe

Gunnison

Crested Butte Avalanche Center
Vedi sulla mappa

Pericolo valanghe

Thu
Alta quota
3 · Marcato
Limite del bosco
3 · Marcato
Sotto il limite
3 · Marcato
Open full map
Non aggiornato — questo bollettino è scaduto 5 months ago. Stai vedendo condizioni passate, non il bollettino in corso.

In sintesi

March Meltdown Madness continues, bringing another day of record heat and the potential for dangerous natural wet avalanches like we observed yesterday.  With a shallow surface refreeze, you can find a short window of improved stability early in the morning, and south-facing terrain has often matured into a more resilient snowpack (or dirt). As the day warms up and surface crusts thaw, expect to easily trigger wet avalanches on slopes steeper than 35 degrees, many of which will involve the entire snowpack and become nasty cement mixers. 

Problemi valanghivi

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Likely
    Dimensione
    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.  The most active terrain this week has been where previously dry snowpacks are currently or recently transitioning to wet conditions (E to NE and W to NW aspects), especially on steeper, rockier slopes that amplify melt. Most southerly-facing slopes have already made this transition, while high, north-facing terrain has remained mostly dry. 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)

  • Loose Wet

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Likely
    Dimensione
    1–2

    Wet loose avalanches are the most concerning where you sink deeply into wet snow. In these areas, a small point-release avalanche 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.   

    Most of the avalanches in this photo are wet loose avalanches that gouged into a saturated snowpack and grew to dangerous sizes in sustained steep terrain.  (3/24/2026) 

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Unlikely
    Dimensione
    2–2.5

    Old, hard slabs 2 to 3+ feet thick overlie buried weak layers. This avalanche problem has become isolated in distribution and is difficult to trigger. Without obvious warning signs, avalanches are most likely triggered where the slab is thinner and easier to impact the weak layer below.  Cornice falls can also act as triggers. You can reduce your risk by avoiding steep terrain with a thin or variable snowpack, such as rocky areas, rollovers, or places where wind has created uneven slab thickness. The southern half of the compass and slopes with consistently deep and uniform snow depths offer safer options from this problem.

    The last persistent slab avalanche in our forecast area released on Mt Whetstone, around March 11th, during an extreme wind event.

Avalanche Discussion

We remain entrenched in an impressively prolonged wet cycle, the result of unprecedented heat, poor refreezes, and poor snowpack structures.  Despite slightly cooler temperatures to start the work week, wet activity may actually be escalating, as evidenced by trends in avalanche data since the warmup began.  This might be attributed to increased cloud cover earlier this week, which helps insulate the snowpack from a stronger refreeze, along with the delayed decay of the robust ice lens that formed in late February.  With mostly clear skies last night, we should see a slightly better refreeze before the hottest temperatures of this week cause the snowpack to deteriorate quickly once again.  This video from yesterday demonstrates conditions.    

We made a few minor adjustments to our wet avalanche distribution roses.  Yesterday, we saw our first evidence of wet avalanche activity expanding into a few high northerly slopes, particularly those that catch the most heat (rocky and tilted NE or NW), and expanded the rose accordingly.  We also trimmed alpine southerlies from the wet slab list, given the lack of activity on those slopes this week: the snowpack there has advanced to a more mature wet state through extensive melt cycles over the past month.  

Unfortunately, we are in a challenging pattern for backcountry skiing and riding, with access points melting out, trapdoor travel developing early, and dangerous wet avalanche conditions.  Early starts and finishes are your best chance of finding supportable and safe riding, and those windows have been quite short in recent days.  A cooler, snowier pattern is expected to develop next week, which should improve riding quality and eventually reduce full-depth wet snow hazards.  

Regioni coperte