Gunnison

Avalanche

CBAC Staff · Oct 31, 2024 · Gunnison

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Weather

Cloud Cover: Few (Mostly Clear, up to 2/8 covered) New or Recent Snowfall (cm): 50 Snow Available For Transport: Moderate Amounts Wind Loading: Previous

Snowpack

Settled storm totals were about 18" in windsheltered terrain at 11k, and increased towards 2' in the alpine with significant wind redistribution. A few quick tests above 11.5k targeting the storm interface produced non-propagating results (both where the layer was a melt-freeze crust (ENE) and facets (N)). We probed at some impressively thick drifts up to 5 feet deep guarding the entrance to north-facing terrain, but didn't feel comfortable testing or ski cutting them. Those types of features are what I'm most cautious of.

Avalanche

Good visibility of a lot of terrain. Some evidence of small slides early in the storm, but I didn't see any distinct crowns at the storm interface like we saw earlier on Whetstone. The most recent avalanche activity was all thin wind slabs that ran during the westerly wind event yesterday and overnight, all D1s on easterly aspects N/ATL. Stability tests continued highlighting this failure layer (ECTP), up to 45 cm deep.