Northern San Juan

Snowpack

Ann Mellick · Apr 19, 2011 · Northern San Juan

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Weather

Unsettled with periods of sun and periods of very light snow showers. Mild temps.

Snowpack

Snowpack is saturated, wet and weak on all aspects near and below 11,500. Light to no overnight freeze on Monday night and warm temps Tues-> rain transitioning to snow Tuesday night. New snow (~6") sitting on and insulating weak, wet grains. Lots of cracking and collapsing on all slopes below 11,500'. New snow sitting on ~1-2" frozen crusts on higher elevations slopes, so more solid/less spooky there. 2 skier triggered, slow-moving sluffs in the new snow on north facing slopes near treeline- sliding on older snow surface. Slides could step deeper with current structure, but these did not. Steep slopes at lower elevations are to be avoided. Still transitional... Recent unsettled weather keeping things from getting into a predictable spring melt-freeze pattern.