Gunnison

Avalanche

Public Public · Mar 10, 2022 · Gunnison

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Weather

Wintery temps. Very light snowfall this afternoon. Light northwest winds were drifting snow near valley bottom. No transport higher up.

Snowpack

About 6? to 8? new. Got a couple of large, rumbling collapses near the valley bottom on moderate angled NE aspects. Got one deep but localized collapse on a flat ridgeline at 11,000ft. These were all on the sandbox layer about 3 feet down. Got a few minor cracks and one shallow collapse that radiated about 40 ft on a steep south facing slope. This was on the 3/8 crust, which is a thin, soft crust that developed during the one sunny day between storms this week. There was about 6? of storm snow above the crust; not sure there’s enough to produce a slab avalanche unless you were in a drifted location. We traveled on steep southeast aspects and a few east/northeast facing bed surfaces from the 2/23 cycle with no signs of instability on either.

Avalanche

Had so-so vis into Redwell Basin and didn’t see anything notable. Maybe a couple of thin, small soft slabs on northerly below treeline.