Gunnison

Snowpack

Zach Guy · Apr 9, 2013 · Gunnison

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Weather

Overcast with moderate snowfall all day. Ridgetop winds were calm with gusts in the teens, varying from SE to NE. Temps sensors down, but felt like warmed to near freezing at 10,200 ft and low 20’s°F at 12,000 ft.

Snowpack

Snowpack: Study Plot: 4” (.25” SWE) last night, with 7” (.45” SWE) during the day. Storm snow density and amount was elevation dependent and deeper accumulations favored west aspects. (~8” at 10k, and 15” at 12k). Little wind transport. A dust layer in the bottom inch of the storm snow. Storm snow fell on moist crusts at lower elevations and dry snow at high shaded elevations. Snow turning to “Cascade Concrete” below 11,000 ft. after 1300. Avalanches: Very touchy storm slab instability this morning just above the dust layer, with remote, natural, and sympathetic slides up to 300 meters away on everything steeper than 35° near/below treeline. Unique but harmless in size (fist hardness slabs, 3” deep, failing on precip particles). (SS-ASc/N-R1/D1-S) These slabs seemed healed by afternoon, but all of the storm snow became moist below 11,000 ft and easily sluffed down to the old crust on steeper slopes. (WL-ASc-R1/D1-I).