Southern San Juan
AvalancheJeff Davis · Jan 13, 2020 · Southern San Juan
Weather
Snow continued until 2 pm. Southwest winds were strong through the day. Temperatures in the upper teen's and low 20's.
Snowpack
5 inches of new snow fell overnight with an additional 3 inches today. Storm totals in the Coal bank area were ~10 inches of snow and just over a half an inch of SWE. Strong southwest winds transported the low density snow onto leeward slopes at all elevations. Drifted pockets of snow were observed to be soft, but up to 24 inches deep. Today, I dug on a northeast facing slope just above treeline. Last weeks strong wind formed a pencil hard wind slab that sits below the new snow. Stomping my boot through this hard layer took a few kicks, but facets sit below. Extend Column tests produced propagating failures in the facets, but a Propagating Saw tests showed differing results. This layer is not a concern at this time, but something to pay attention to with a significant load. No cracking or collapsing.
Avalanche
Multiple Long running small Loose avalanches observed from steep rocky terrain. One slab avalanche observed near Turk Mountain in a gully feature on a southeast facing slope above treeline.