As the temperatures heats up during the sunny days, expect the avalanche danger to rise. Wet, loose slide potential is a danger that is easy to mitigate: when you start seeing rollerballs or sinking in slushy snow, it's time to head out of avalanche terrain. And give those cornices a wide berth, they start failing as the temperatures heat up.
As the temperatures heats up during the sunny days, expect the avalanche danger to rise. Wet, loose slide potential is a danger that is easy to mitigate: when you start seeing rollerballs or sinking in slushy snow, it's time to head out of avalanche terrain. And give those cornices a wide berth, they start failing as the temperatures heat up.
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Above Treeline
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Near Treeline
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Below Treeline
The majority of the large cornices are located on the north sides of the highest ridges, but there are some smaller ones out there on other aspects. As the temperature rises, they weaken and can break off. Give them a wide berth, they fail further back on the hillside than is expected.
Yesterday we traveled to the ridge above the Taft warming hut and the West Fork of Crow Creek. We found the north to still be harboring some powder! It hasn't had enough sun at 6000' to get a sun crust yet. There is an impressive crop of surface hoar out there as well on the north, but I'm not worried about it right now since we don't have any accumulation predicted. Something to keep an eye on if we do get another storm predicted. Yesterday the south aspect was a firm sun crust in the morning, but by one o'clock it was perfect corn. We didn't stick around long enough to see when it turned sloppy, but there was evidence of rollerballs from the day before. The wind slabs that formed from the frigid north/east winds last weekend have stabilized nicely in the warm temperatures and sunshine. And even though today is the first day of spring, I hope last weekend was a reminder that winter hasn't given up its hold yet.
As the ski areas around our vicinity are closing early for the season due to Covid-19, we would like to remind you that if you are skinning up inside a closed ski resort, it is now backcountry. Ski patrol is no longer working, so there is no avalanche mitigation and no safety measures in place. You have to assess the avalanche risk for yourself just like any other place in the backcountry. Have a safe weekend and send in observations if you are out!
| Friday | Friday Night | Saturday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weather: | Mostly Sunny | Mostly Clear | Partly Sunny |
| Temperatures: | 50 deg. F. | 29 deg. F. | 50 deg. F. |
| Wind Direction: | W | NW | W |
| Wind Speed: | 5-7 | 5 | 5-8 |
| Expected snowfall: | 0 in. | 0 in. | 0 in. |
| Friday | Friday Night | Saturday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weather: | Mostly Sunny | Partly Cloudy | Slight Chance Snow |
| Temperatures: | 34 deg. F. | 24 deg. F. | 36 deg. F. |
| Wind Direction: | W | W | W |
| Wind Speed: | 5-7 | 9 | 8-10 |
| Expected snowfall: | 0 in. | 0 in. | 0 in. |
Avalanche conditions change for better or worse continually. Backcountry travelers should be prepared to assess current conditions for themselves, plan their routes of travel accordingly, and never travel alone. Backcountry travelers can reduce their exposure to avalanche hazards by utilizing timbered trails and ridge routes and by avoiding open and exposed terrain with slope angles of 30 degrees or more. Backcountry travelers should carry the necessary avalanche rescue equipment such as a shovel, avalanche probe or probe ski poles, a rescue beacon and a well-equipped first aid kit. For a recorded version of the Avalanche Advisory call (208)765-7323.
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