Northern San Juan
SnowpackAmy Pertuz · Apr 11, 2023 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Clear skies, calm to light winds, blazing sun. No overnight freeze
Snowpack
On west and northwest aspects near and below treeline, travel remained supportable but boot penetration was thigh deep into wet and moist snow. Any evidence of a surface freeze from overnight was long gone by mid morning. Northwest aspects were more sensitive than west aspects to the rapid warmup, with water percolating through previously dry snow. I found two layers where meltwater was concentrating and which created failures in compression tests. On a northwest aspect near treeline, I was able to get a propagating result on an Extended Column test on the lower of these two layers 65cm below the surface. It appears the meltdown is climbing in elevation and into more northerly terrain. Limited wet loose activity was seen on west and northwest aspects near and below treeline.