Gunnison
AvalancheBen Pritchett · Nov 6, 2019 · Aspen
Weather
Warm, clear, and calm.
Snowpack
The warm temperatures are widening the divide between those slopes that see a lot of sun-light and those that don't. On south to west facing terrain, most snow is melted near and below treeline. Above treeline the snowpack on southerly and westerly facing terrain is shallow and crusted. Facets exist below the current surface crust, and in some places that held snow through October, facets surround a second crust mid-way through the snowpack. The snowpack on shady slopes is weakening. In areas where ski penetration was 5-10cm deep several days ago, I sank to near the ground (30+cm) on my skis today. 1-2mm facets dominate the snowpack in sheltered areas on north through east facing terrain. I found the mid-pack crust buried in late October had faceted away in many locations with full-shade. The crust is now only 1-finger stiff on many slopes with partial shade (less stiff than a week ago when it was Pencil-hard). The number of places you could trigger an avalanche is getting fewer and fewer with the current weather pattern.
Avalanche
None