Gunnison
AvalancheCBAC Staff · Nov 26, 2023 · Gunnison
Weather
Cold temps throughout the day, but the clear sky and warm sun sure helped. Generally calm winds. CLOUD COVER Clear TEMPERATURE (F) Not Observed NEW OR RECENT SNOWFALL 25 to 35 RAIN/SNOW LINE Not Observed SNOW AVAILABLE FOR TRANSPORT Not Observed WIND LOADING Previous
Snowpack
On Southerly facing slopes up to 12,500ft, we observed a couple of collapses, but now shooting cracks. The recent wind-loading and wind-loaded terrain features were our primary concern while traveling through the terrain. Those features appeared to be reactive yesterday with a number of small natural, storms or wind slab, avalanches. However today those same features appeared to be stubborn or unreactive to triggering. We performed one ECT test on a SE slope at 11,500ft with no result. The old crusts buried in the snowpack are helping keep the skis off the ground on southerly-facing slopes and making for some ok skiing. The recent wind affected snow and thicker wind drifts were the main things that decreased ski quality. We had a couple of collapses on southerly-facing slopes. Shooting cracks were confined to northerly and easterly-facing slopes.
Avalanche
The recent avalanche cycle continues to be observed on northerly and easterly-facing slopes, primarily above 11,000ft in elevation, but there have been a few at lower elevations. There were also a number of small wind slabs or storm-related avalanches that ran yesterday on east and south aspects.