Gunnison
AvalancheChristian Jordan Zach Guy · Jan 5, 2025 · Gunnison
Weather
Despite clearing skies in town this morning, Northwest flow kept snow accumulating in the Ruby Range. Moderate (S2) snowfall and light to moderate Northwest winds with some strong gusts in the alpine.
Snowpack
The Ruby Magic delivered with 40cm (16") of new, low-density snow since yesterday. The Christmas slab is now nearly three feet thick in this area. Despite the new load and ongoing moderate wind transport, we observed no collapses or other obvious signs of instability: ski pen is well above the bottom of the slab. We dug multiple pits on SE and S aspects. On a SE aspect at 11,000', we recorded an ECTN 23 on small grain mixed forms below the 12/29 rime/melt-freeze crust. We received a similar result in a nearby pit. Small (less than 1mm), soft (4F), rounding facets sit above the Christmas crust, but these did not produce any results today. In terrain where this layer is weaker and buried by a heavier, windloaded slab, it could be problematic, but significantly less worrisome than structures on our W/N/E aspects. On a S aspect at 12,000', we received an ECTX result, no notable weak layers.
Avalanche
Triggered a thin wind slab on a small terrain feature. Poor visibility and concerns for wind slabs overlapping persistent slab issues kept us from seeking feedback on true leeward avalanche slopes.