Southern San Juan
SnowpackChris Bilbrey · Mar 21, 2019 · Southern San Juan
Weather
Wild springtime weather...periods of heavy snow and graupel, rowdy southeast winds with best guess at gusts 70+ mph, and a convective cell producing lots of lightning and thunder from 1300 to 1400. Found around 2" of new snow in main valley bottom with upwards of 8" above 11,000 feet and drifts 12-18" thick. Southeast winds forming drifts on atypical slopes.
Snowpack
Strong southeast winds formed thick drifts along ridge tops and on leeward slopes with shooting cracks while approaching. Southeast to south-facing slopes were scoured down to old snow and southwest slopes were cross-loaded. Storm slabs were reactive to weight of a skier on slopes > 35 degrees, especially where new snow was falling on a slick sliding surface but generally 6" or less. Generally better bonding observed between new and old snow on northerly-facing slopes without a buried crust. Loose snow sluffing in steeper, treed terrain.