Northern San Juan
SnowpackAmy Pertuz · Jan 5, 2019 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Warm. Sunny in am, increasing clouds in pm. Did not cool off significantly when clouds arrived.
Snowpack
Temperatures climbed high enough today to wet the snow surface on sunny aspects up to 11,500 in places. Wet loose activity began Friday and ramped up Saturday near rocky areas. There is some evidence that these loose slides are triggering slabs in the upper snow layers, mostly on W'ly aspects, but these appear to be small and confined to recent storm snow since Christmas. North through East near and above treeline remained cold and in some places stiff and wind pressed, but warm ambient temperatures affected surface conditions on all but true North below treeline by the end of the day Saturday. A pit dug on a NW aspect near treeline had propagating failures (ECTP 22) down 105cm, at the top of a 20cm layer of basal facets. Surface conditions on NW seemed less stiff than E and N aspects, but evidence of wind loading exists here as well. A quick pit on an ESE aspect showed an old crust facet sandwich 50cm below the surface, but this was un reactive in tests.