Northern San Juan

Snowpack

Jeff Davis · Jan 19, 2017 · Northern San Juan

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Weather

Clouds quickly moved in from the south. Winds increased out of the SW and were strong enough to move surface snow around. Temperatures remained cool. Snow started to fall around 3:00 pm and precipitation intensity has increased ever since.

Snowpack

Multiple small weak-layers were observed in the softer snow on the surface. These layers were difficult to pick out with the naked eye or with hard-hardness, but were observed during stability tests. These layers will become an issue once they are buried. Mid-pack layers continue to show strength. Basel facets continue to develop. A wind skim on exposed slopes made for difficult skiing at times. No cracking or collapsing observed. Surface-hoar was observed in protected areas, but winds were blowing surface snow around near and above treeline.