Gunnison

Avalanche

Crested Butte Avalanche Center · Feb 5, 2014 · Gunnison

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Weather

Wx: Cold (0 at 6 am) with light winds at the valley floor. Broken skies with sustained winds from the W and NW at 10 - 15 ATL, gusting up to 40 mph - strong enough to fill in a skin track. Wind visibly transporting snow into the bowl. Much colder at the top - no inversion today.

Snowpack

Sx: About 8" of new snow sitting in the bowl (from falling snow and wind-loading). Very slight wind affection on steeper slopes, heavier wind affection down below 11,500. Yesterday's tracks were filled in.

Avalanche

Ax: No instabilities up high, but NTL we saw a natural slide on the lower right side of the bowl below a tree / rock band. And a ski cut produced a shooting crack below a rollover NTL as well. Skier exited the path at 45 degree angle, and the slope held.