Southern San Juan
AvalancheMatt Huber · Dec 12, 2020 · Southern San Juan
Weather
At 08:30 the storm total was 13 inches of new snow and 1.1 inches of snow water. Southwest winds were strong enough at ridgeline for large columns of blowing snow to be visible. Snowfall began to increase (S2) around noon with 2 inches on the stake by the time I left at mid-afternoon.
Snowpack
35-45 cm of 4 finger hard windslab could be found on most north though east-facing slopes near treeline by late morning. Pockets of heavily drifted slopes were over a meter deep.These slabs are resting on yesterdays 20-30 cm of new snow and are propagating on isolation in Extended Column tests, failing on a layer of buried surface facets at yesterdays storm interface. Although the crust/facet combination from 11/22 is still visible, it is unreactive
Avalanche
Small cutbank slides along the highway 160 corridor on the east side of the snow shed.