The Crested Butte Avalanche Center has stopped issuing danger ratings as of April 8
th, 2012. Listed below is a travel advisory for spring conditions. Please note that this is not updated daily and it is not a forecast.
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Timing is a critical part of springtime backcountry riding. Start early and finish early, especially if you are traveling on south and east facing slopes. Choose your aspects wisely and remember that changes in the snowpack can occur very rapidly in April and May.
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Be aware that steeper slopes will heat up faster than less steep slopes. Lower elevations, areas of shallow snow or areas around rocks, cliffs and trees will heat up faster as well. If you notice that you are sinking in the snow up to your boot-tops it is time to move to shadier terrain or head home.
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Check the overnight lows every morning before you head out into the backcountry. If there isn’t a prolonged overnight freeze, it may not be a good day to ski. Monitor sky cover the night before you plan on skiing as well. Cloudy nights are more often associated with a weak freeze or no overnight freeze at all. Use our page http://cbavalanchecenter.org/page.cfm?pageid=12570 to check temperatures at various elevations around the valley
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Wet snow avalanches can entrain more snow than anticipated. Never underestimate the destructive potential of wet snow avalanches. Even small slides can be hazardous.
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Colder NW-N-NE aspects near and above treeline will be holding on to drier snow well into the spring. Be aware that the avalanche problem can change as you shift aspects. Take the time to dig in the snowpack or probe around to feel for strong over weak layering on higher elevation northerly slopes. Triggering a deep persistent slab avalanche will remain a possibility as long as slabs are resting on weak facets and depth hoar. If we experience a prolonged warming trend, we could see an avalanche cycle on these slopes.
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Most importantly, be safe, have fun and enjoy the sunshine. Thanks everybody for supporting your local avalanche center!
-CBAC Staff
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center will be issuing daily bulletins into the spring and a statewide advisory until May.
http://avalanche.state.co.us/index.php
