Southern San Juan
AvalancheDanny Powers · Jan 19, 2019 · Southern San Juan
Weather
Clear and breezy below tree line. High winds near and above treeline, shifting from northeast through northwest and actively top and cross-loading leeward slopes.
Snowpack
100-140 cm on bl tl east, northeast, and north aspects. Crust facet combos on east aspects and a fairly uniform and consolidated December & January pack on north aspects, both resting on 10-25 cm of depth hoar. New snow is very dense with only a few inches of ski penetration.
Avalanche
Numerous avalanches observed on nearly every aspect and elevation. Several of the avalanches on east and north east aspects had impressively long crown lines extending from the peak tops to well bellow treeline. Many slides ran full track or nearly full track into creek drainages or the valley bottom (R2 D2 through maybe R3 2.5/3?) The old depth hoar near the ground appeared to be the bed surface on many of the slides. Most slides appear to have occurred on the tail end of the January 17th and 18th storm cycle with some that appear to have run mid storm. This is probably the most widespread avalanche cycle I've observed in the la platas in quite a few years.