Gunnison

Snowpack

Lots of shooting cracks and rumbling collapses on N, NW and W aspects near the town of Gothic. Some cracks shot off the skin track next to a 35* NW aspect and the whole slope went into "gliding motion" before stopping. HS on a NW aspect BTL of 100 cm with bottom 40 cm of F-4F facets. RB2 (WB) and repeatable CTM tests showed sudden collapse test results on 34* NW aspect on facets 35 cm above the ground. HS of 50 cm on S and SW aspects BTL with just January storm snow resting on the ground. Observed minor cracking and moderate collapsing on S and SW aspects. Small faceted grains (0.5-1.0 mm) are resting above and below a melt-freeze crust 15 cm below surface. Westerly winds were calm in morning but picked up after 3 pm with large plumes of snow blowing off of Avery, White Mt. and Gothic. Observed large settlement cones on the aspens on all aspects BTL.