Northern San Juan

Snowpack

Ann Mellick Jeff Davis · Jan 6, 2021 · Northern San Juan

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Weather

Cold to start, but sunny and warming through the day. Moderate north winds above treeline.

Snowpack

4" of fresh snow was observed from Tuesday storm. West and northwest winds drifted the snow onto leeward slops creating a wind-hardened surface in some areas. The alpine was more wind affected and the deepest drifts of snow were observed near treeline. The new snow fell on a mixture of crusts with well developed facets closer to the ground. In general, the snow structure remains poor and slow to heal at all elevations. Even with the poor structure the limiting factor to avalanche activity on southerly facing slopes is snowpack depth driven by recent windy and sunny days. We continue to observe cracking and collapsing but more localized.