Gunnison

Avalanche

Zach Guy · Apr 12, 2024 · Gunnison

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Weather

Cloud cover increased to scattered this afternoon. Warm temperatures.

Snowpack

This afternoon, boot pen was typically about 6" into wet snow, with the strong crust below retaining just enough strength to be supportive. In a few spots, snowmobile pen was punching deeply. On an east-facing slope near the top of Union Chute at 11,300', meltwater was pooling on two layers about 45 cm deep, which was about halfway to a moist layer of depth hoar at the ground. Stability tests produced hard, non-propagating results on the depth hoar.

Avalanche

An uptick in small wet loose activity above treeline on south to east spects below cornices or rock bands. A few wet loose avalanches starting to spread to northerly aspects up to 11,000' as well. One large cornice fall on Hancock that I didn't see yesterday.