Northern San Juan
AvalancheJeff Davis · Mar 24, 2020 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Nice to see the sun after a week of cloudy weather. Don't get me wrong... love the snow! The sky cleared during the early morning hours. Temperatures above freezing below 12,000'. Southwest winds were strong enough to move snow in the alpine.
Snowpack
3" of new snow measured at the Red Mountain Pass snow study site this morning. Large hoar crystals were observed on the rope line, but quickly melted. Temperatures above freezing and the strong spring sun rapidly warmed the surface of the snowpack. On slopes affected by warming rollerballs, pinwheels, and wet avalanche activity observed from around noon till ~6 pm. Warming and sunshine were the biggest changes today.
Avalanche
Loose Wet avalanches observed on low elevation and sunny alpine slopes. Mostly on slopes that face south and west. Many of these avalanches were small, but I did see a few that I will classify at a D2. Definite spike in wet activity today.