Gunnison

Snowpack

Zach Guy · Feb 10, 2013 · Gunnison

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Weather

Sky was broken all day, temps rose from zero to mid teens at 10,000 ft and near 10F at 12,000 ft. with moderate solar. Very light snowfall late afternoon with trace accumulation. Winds were 5 gusting to 15 mph averaging from the west. Snow surfaces stayed dry on all aspects.

Snowpack

Snowpack: Storm board: 4.5” New snow is a bit denser from settlement/winds, up to 4F on crossloaded features. Sitting on crusts on SE to SW aspects. Avalanche Activity: Good views of Ruby Range with only one small windslab on a SE aspect that failed on the crust interface (R1D1) in Peeler Basin. On our terrain, we skier triggered several shallow windslabs that failed on melt-freeze crusts on SE aspects near and above treeline and one on a west slope above treeline. The problem is isolated to just below ridgelines and heavily windloaded features. These slabs are all about 6” deep and small in width/length with low consequences (R1D1).