Northern San Juan
SnowpackAnn Mellick · Feb 3, 2011 · Northern San Juan
Weather
sunny and cool with strong northerly winds near and above treeline. Very fast moving high thin clouds.
Snowpack
Steady northerly winds caused lots of new wind loading primarily on southerly slopes near and above treeline, though lots of cross loading of westerly terrain as well. Winds creating extensive sculpting of the snow surface. All exposed slopes likely have some degree of wind effect/slabbiness to them. Northerly aspects getting stripped back to old windslab. Found easily triggered surface sluffs running on burried crust on WNW slopes below tl. Expect similar sluffing of new snow on slopes with any northerly tilt. Southerly slopes below treeline less touchy with supportive mf crusts under new snow, though new snow sheeting off crusts on steep terrain.