Southern San Juan
AvalancheChris Bilbrey · Dec 12, 2022 · Southern San Juan
Weather
Felt like winter - snowing and blowing.
Snowpack
We found around 8 inches of new, lower-density snow above 11,000 feet. Moderate south wind along a treed ridgeline was forming small, soft drifts in open areas. Drifting did not extend downslope onto the leeward side of the treed slope. The snowpack was less talkative today than during and immediately after our last storm. However, we continue to observe rumbling collapses and shooting cracks on west through north to northeast-facing slopes and terrain features that approach 35 degrees with weak, faceted snow below. Multiple hand hardness pits confirm December snowfall is slowly settling into a 4F to 1F- slab and gaining strength quicker than weaker snow below. A new emerging concern in the upper snowpack is a thin layer of near-surface facets below the recent storm snow. This layer failed with easy force in the Compression and Extended Column tests once the storm snow was isolated above, but this layer was unreactive to ski pressure on slopes less than 35 degrees.
Avalanche
None observed