Southern San Juan
SnowpackKrista Beyer · Nov 3, 2024 · Southern San Juan
Weather
My mountain outing began with spots of orographic snow and cloudy skies. Visibility diminished early afternoon and S1 snow picked up around 3pm. Storm arrived warm with limited precipitation sticking on the pass roads.
Snowpack
As I exited the mountains, the first notable precipitation was hitting the ground from Storm #3 of the season. Storm #1 began October 18th with favored areas, including Red Mountain, Molas, and Coal Bank Passes, picking up between 1.9 and 2.4 inches of water. After the storm, warm weather melted out all but northerly slopes near and below treeline. Storm #2 arrived October 28th with the same favored areas picking up between 2.1 and 2.2 inches of water. Colder temperatures, shorter days, and continuing precipitation suggest that the snow that's on the ground is here to stay. In the areas travelled, the snow on the ground consists of round grains and is dense and supportable to ski pressure. A weak melt-freeze crust has developed near the top in open areas.