Northern San Juan
SnowpackJeff Davis · Nov 9, 2024 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Light snow showers were on and off throughout the day. Visibility was limited by cloud cover. Winds were light to moderate but picked up in the afternoon as the storm started to move out of the area.
Snowpack
Around a foot of snow was measured at pass level throughout this past storm. Winds during the storm were reasonably light but picked up over the past two days after most of the new snow had fallen. The new snow was light and dry on shady slopes, but there was crust on sunny slopes to treeline that likely developed Thursday and Friday during periods of sunny weather. Testing many slopes at all elevations showed minimal signs of instability besides the slope that avalanched. The new snow height ranges from only a few inches on the crust on sunny slopes to 8-14" on shady slopes. Northwest winds in the afternoon increased loading, cross-loading, and stiffening slopes.