Gunnison
AvalancheZach Guy · Mar 19, 2014 · Gunnison
Snowpack
4-7" of low density new snow over melt-freeze and wind crusts. Below these crusts, which range from 2" thick to <.5" thick, are weak facets that produced widespread rumbling collapses on S, SE, and E aspects above treeline. One collapse sounded like it ran ~300 feet away. Spooky layer, but not much of a slab above it. No signs of instability on north aspects except shallow sluffing. Cool temps and light westerly winds kept surfaces dry on all aspects above treeline except for wind-sheltered southerlies, which got moist mid day.
Avalanche
One fresh natural soft slab avalanche between Purple and Afley on an ESE aspect, 6-8" deep, ~250 feet wide, ran 800 vertical, with debris piles up to ~4 feet deep. Either ran failed on the interface or on the facet layer just below the interface. See photo. SS-N-R2-D1.5-U. Dozens of fresh natural loose avalanches on all aspects, but more common on southerly aspects where it ran on melt-freeze crusts, D1 in size.