Gunnison
Avalancheian havlick · Dec 11, 2016 · Gunnison
Weather
Mostly cloudy, broken skies down valley, moderate to heavy snowfall (S3) until around 1500 when skies rapidly cleared, accompanied by moderate to strong WSW wind, and intense snow transport observed at ridgeline. Temperatures between 28-30º all day.
Snowpack
Long day of breaking trail. New snow accumulation ~12". Hard to ignore obvious upside-down snowpack structure, with heavy moist snow from this storm resting above colder, lighter density snow/ 1-2mm facets. Average snowpack depth ~70cm. Several large, booming collapses, seemed to propagate a few hundred yards. Cracking in denser, wind-stiffened snow. Moderate WNW winds were efficiently moving snow onto East-facing slopes near and above treeline. One extended column test on E facing slope, BTL, produced ECTP12 SC, 25cm above ground on 1-2mm near surface facets from cold spell.
Avalanche
No avalanches observed aside from one, 12" deep, remotely triggered, east-facing steep rollover, BTL. Several large, booming collapses, both on uptrack and downtrack, shooting cracks near ridgeline with wind stiffened snow.