Gunnison
SnowpackEric Murrow · Mar 20, 2024 · Gunnison
Weather
Warm temps with similar highs to previous days. Light to calm winds at ridgetop.
Snowpack
A profile on an east slope at 10,400 feet showed meltwater has moved about 70cm into the snowpack (about halfway through the February slab, see image). Snow surfaces on this terrain had about 6 inches of wet cohesionless snow at the surface. Nearby northerly slopes had moist/wet snow in just the top few inches. At treeline, we poked into southerly terrain and found water had moved through the entire snowpack with a snowpack depth of around 120cm. The top 5 inches were wet with a supportive midpack below. It seemed possible to trigger wet loose avalanches on 40+ degree slopes. Northerly slopes (between 10,600 to 11,600 feet) had dry surfaces with 1mm facets and 2-3mm surface hoar. Excellent riding conditions but not a great interface for incoming snowfall.