Southern San Juan
SnowpackMichael Altherr · Nov 6, 2022 · Southern San Juan
Weather
It was clear and warm (above freezing) and relatively calm along the road. The snow pack was moist throughout from surface to ground.
Snowpack
The snowpack was quite variable with widely distributed faceted crystals (see picture) on the surface sitting on a thin sun crust at the site where the snow pit was dug. Beneath that was a slab of 1-4 finger firmness sitting on another melt freeze layer sitting on a layer of depth hoar (Profile included). The melt freeze layer could be felt by pole probing. The slab could be coaxed to slide intact on the buried melt freeze layer by shovel shear, but column and extended column tests were not reactive.