Bollettino valanghe

Northwest Mountains

Crested Butte Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Fri
Alta quota
2 · Moderato
Limite del bosco
2 · Moderato
Sotto il limite
2 · Moderato
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Non aggiornato — questo bollettino è scaduto 7 months ago. Stai vedendo condizioni passate, non il bollettino in corso.

In sintesi

Loose avalanches are the most likely problem for you to encounter.  On northerly slopes protected from the wind, expect to trigger sluffs where you find a weak, soft snowpack.  On sunnier terrain, wet loose avalanche concerns develop as warm temperatures and sunshine wet the snow surface.  A small chance remains for a triggered slab avalanche where you encounter stiff snow on leeward features at upper elevations; you can reduce your risk of avalanche by steering around old, hard drifts.  For loose avalanche issues, you can reduce risk by utilizing sluff management techniques or picking slopes angles around 35 degrees or less.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Loose Dry

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Possible
    Dimensione
    1–1.5

    Dry Loose avalanches have developed where the snowpack is below average in depth, typically on the bed surfaces of old avalanches or near the valley bottom where temperature inversions magnify the faceting process. While the average snowpack in the NW Mountain forecast area is still strong enough to reduce the probability of sluffs.  A triggered sluff will be relatively small, but where they run through sustained steep terrain, they can become larger in size and push you into more hazardous terrain features, such as trees, or pile deeply in terrain traps.  You can manage the problem through lower-angle terrain selection or sluff management techniques.

    A long-running sluff that was skier-triggered on an old avalanche bed surface. Birthday Bowl, Schuylkill Ridge. Photo: Miles Morris

  • Loose Wet

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

    Warm temperatures and sunshine will wet the snow surface on the southern half of the compass.  Wet Loose avalanches will become possible where you find more than a few inches of wet, cohesionless snow.  Rocky areas are the most susceptible to natural releases, as shown in the image.  Head to cooler aspects if you encounter a wet cohesionless snowpack.

    A rare possibility for today would be a Wet Loose avalanche triggering a slab.  This unlikely event could happen on sunny wind-drifted slopes near and above treeline.

    (2/2/2026)

    A triggered Wet Loose avalanche on the south side of Mount Owen from last weekend.  Expect similar issues today.

    Photo: Tom Schaefer

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Persistent slab avalanche concerns mostly involve slabs of drifted snow that formed over the facets and faceted crusts from the January drought.  These slabs, typically 1 to 3 feet thick, are hard and stubborn to trigger. Requiring heavier loads, or light loads in just the right location to trigger. There is isolated potential for a slab failing in the upper snowpack to step down and trigger a deeper, harder avalanche near the ground.  This problem has become 'unlikely' but not impossible during the two-week dry period.

    Searching for wind-eroded and soft wind-dappled snow will help reduce your exposure to this avalanche problem, while the best way to avoid it is by riding in wind-sheltered areas. 

    An example of some hard wind-drifted slabs on the eastern side of Cinnimon Mountain. 

Avalanche Discussion

As warm air infiltrates the region today, avalanche hazards will change.  High temperatures may reach the mid 30's above treeline with strong sunshine and light winds.  This will lead to wet snow surfaces.  We expect some natural avalanche activity from the warmest and rocky terrain features near and above treeline.  Keep this potential in mind if you are climbing up below continuously steep sunny terrain.  One factor that might reduce wet avalanche activity is the often-firm surfaces near and above treeline.  These slopes are less likely to produce wet loose avalanches.  Just like in the spring, time your descent for optimal conditions.  Just a small amount of softening will make for quality turns.  If you find yourself sinking past your ankles in wet snow, move to a cooler aspect that hasn't warmed as much.

On the shady side of the compass, the warm weather will have little to no impact.  The historically shallow snowpack is often weak and capable of dry loose avalanches where protected from the wind.  The problem is worse in the Southeast Mountains where the snowpack is the shallowest.  As the dry spell continues, the snowpack continues to weaken.  This allows the avalanche size to grow and sensitivity to increase.  The avalanche size is commonly small, but there is the potential for a loose avalanche to grow large on long, continuously steep terrain (e.g., Climax Chutes, Happy Chutes).

Triggering a slab avalanche has become 'unlikely' across the forecast area, but not impossible.  The latest round of slabs formed around 12 days ago during a northerly wind event and have become difficult to trigger.  You can hedge your bet by steering around terrain with obvious evidence of previous drifting.  A secondary, and minor, concern for a slab avalanche activity could be a wet loose trigger.  The mass of a running loose avalanche may be able to pry out an old, hard slab as it descends, increasing the volume of debris.  

 

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