Northern San Juan
SnowpackAnn Mellick · Mar 3, 2022 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Warm with thin high clouds. Light southerly winds above treeline.
Snowpack
The snowpack's transition towards a more springlike regime becomes more pronounced each day. Most sunny (south, east, and west) slopes sport thick surface crusts and show some degree of drainage starting to establish. A snow profile on a southeast aspect at 11,500' showed a moist and largely isothermal snowpack, though distinct layers remained. Snowpit tests confirmed that weak layers remain reactive. (Test scores: ECTP 22 below the dust/crust and CT13 SP in moist basal facets). A steady cool breeze kept the snow surface surprisingly cool in the alpine today. Slopes were warmer and mushier without the breeze below treeline and were becoming punchy by early afternoon. I had one big collapse on a south facing ridgeline- no movement.