Northern San Juan

Snowpack

Ann Mellick · Dec 6, 2011 · Northern San Juan

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Weather

Sunny, cold and windy. Northerly ridge top winds averaging 20-30.

Snowpack

New snow is settling below treeline, despite persistent cold temps. Big banners streaming off peaks and ridges from strong north wind combined with ample available snow for transport. Lots of sculpting and wind affect in exposed areas. With winds this strong, much of the snow is likely sublimating or landing further down in starting zones, forming slabs lower in paths. Lots of loose slides on all aspects near and above treeline- mostly out of steep rocky terrain. A couple of these loose slides triggered small shallow slabs in the new snow. Some of these slides ran during the storm, while others were likely triggered by warming with the return of the sun or with new wind load today.