Southern San Juan
SnowpackChris Bilbrey · Feb 2, 2021 · Southern San Juan
Weather
Mix of clouds and sun with generally light winds.
Snowpack
The upper snowpack has settled and consolidated quite a bit during the past week from recent warm temperatures and modest snowfall amounts. Signs of unstable snow like cracking and collapsing were absent on our travels but evidence of recent natural avalanches is a good reminder of what lurks below. We observed moderate to hard failures in stability test on a variety of aspects and elevations. Although the weak layer did not display propensity to propagate a failure in all of our Extended Column Test, a few test did propagate across the column. The inconclusive results in test suggest that our slab, weak layer combo remains capable of avalanching. The weakest facets below January snowfall were found on north to east aspects near treeline. The overlying slab in the alpine is thicker and stiffer and the layer of buried weak facets were harder in general. Lower elevations appear to be settling the quickest from recent warm temperatures and sunny skies. By the afternoon, southerly-facing slopes below treeline were moist and sticky in the top couple inches with dry snow below.