Northern San Juan
SnowpackChris Dickson · Dec 10, 2024 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Very cold morning, with zero degrees at the trailhead and likely single digits throughout the morning. A strong wind from the north was creating huge plumes of snow of the peaks with most snow sublimating up into the atmosphere.
Snowpack
Widespread weak snow was buried on December 9th on shady easterly slopes and all northerly slopes in this area. The new snow was not showing any slab character, except for in areas where it was stiffened by the wind. However, the new snow added to the amount of available loose snow at the surface of the snowpack and on steeper slope with underlying facets, a hard turn of the skis was able to produce sluffs that ran with more force than before the storm. These small Loose Dry avalanches gouged down into the old snow and could become concerning if triggered in larger, steeper, or more consequential terrain. Deeper in the snowpack, stability tests continue to highlight the 11/25 PWL as the layer of concern, with hard propagating failures in long column tests.