Southern San Juan
AvalancheChris Bilbrey · Nov 10, 2021 · Southern San Juan
Weather
Mostly sunny skies with moderate west-northwest winds. Temperatures in the low 20s above 11,000 feet.
Snowpack
We found three to four inches of new snow above 11,000 feet in the La Plata Mountains. Minor wind transport from westerly winds at upper elevations did not contribute to new avalanche problems today. Two plus weeks of warmer weather narrowed the margins of continuous snow cover to north and northeast slopes. East through south to west-facing terrain at all elevations has almost melted to bare ground or snow cover is spotty at best and confined to gully's or below ridgetops. Colder weather over the last couple days appears to be taking its toll on overall snowpack structure. Weakening of the snowpack with softer layers sandwiched between harder layers is more pronounced where total snow depths are less than about 2 feet deep. Though the snowpack has become more cohesionless since our last visit, it was still supportable to skis, but we easily punched to the ground in boots. No cracking or collapsing observed in wind-drifted areas.
Avalanche
None observed