Northern San Juan
AvalancheKrista Beyer · Apr 2, 2025 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Nearby weather station Putney at 12,327 feet elevation recorded a peak gust of 61 mph and average wind speeds around 23 mph out of the east/northeast in the previous 24 hours. Red Mountain Pass picked up around 10 inches of snow at pass level. Current conditions included a beautiful morning of partially cloudy skies and calm winds.
Snowpack
Generally right-side-up new snow with limited slab development near treeline. New snow sits on top of a supportable crust near and below treeline even on north aspects. Slab characteristics observed were soft and isolated to small pockets. Some near-surface faceting at lower elevations revealed itself in the form of small loose dry activity in the top inch of the recent snowfall. This could provide a poor bonding interface for new snowfall Thursday into the weekend.
Avalanche
I triggered a small avalanche on a northeast 40-degree convex roll near treeline. The avalanche was confined to the recent storm snow and moved slower than expected on the supportable crust beneath the new snow. No cracking observed in the new snow prior to the avalanche.