Northern San Juan
AvalancheAmy Pertuz · Jan 10, 2023 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Temperatures and conditions below tree line felt warm, humid, and spring like. Precipitation was occasional and consisted mostly of sporadic graupel. Blowing snow moderate in specific locations at ridgeline, and did not extend far down below tree line but affected some near tree line slopes.
Snowpack
Below tree line, in areas traveled, the holiday storm snows have settled into a slab averaging 60-80cm deep. This slab is mostly right-side up, and it's weight is helping to strengthen the December 27th interface since traveling here 6 days ago. This weak layer is still failing with moderate results in tests. CT15, ECTP16. The faceted temperature crust, formed on December 31st, was a 1F+ layer 4cm thick buried 48cm deep here. was failing in compression tests but not propagating in ECT. Near and above tree line, strong SW winds were creating steady pluming off of some features and limited transport along other ridgelines. Near tree line surfaces were thickened by wind-deposit, but below tree line areas remained largely unaffected
Avalanche
No avalanches today. Pit was dug on similar slopes and near the location of a large remote-triggered avalanche on the West face of Ohio Peak the day before.