Gunnison
SnowpackCrested Butte Avalanche Center · Mar 16, 2012 · Gunnison
Weather
Very warm day with strong solar radiation and very little wind.
Snowpack
At 11 am steeper SE facing slopes below treeline were becoming sloppy. SW was holding steady and warmed around noon. The melt freeze has been limited to the upper couple inches of the snowpack, with a 1cm ice lens being formed under the melt layer. Below this layer, the snow was still dry on SW slopes near treeline. Coming around to a North slope below treeline the snow was still dry and very supportive with no evidence of water in the snowpack. At 9,800' and below the surface turned to "flypaper" with very sticky conditions indicating a warming snowpack. Noticed 2 wet slab avalanches from this week, both were triggered by wet loose avalanches coming from cliffs above. One was on a SW aspect, the other on a SE aspect. Steve Banks