Northern San Juan
AvalancheMike Barney · Apr 5, 2021 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Light winds and increasing clouds to BKN skies by mid-day. Then clouds decreased to clear skies by 2pm and winds increased out of the SW at upper elevations
Snowpack
Snow surfaces were wet by 11am below treeline and near treeline while they stayed firm till 12:30 above treeline thanks to clouds and wind. Multiple large wet slab and loose wet avalanches were observed on all elevations that ran in the last two days mostly on easterly and westerly aspects. Most of these avalanches ran at the ground and were located at or below rocks or cliff bands starting on steep slopes. Near treeline on a northeast aspect there was 160 cm of snow that was wet on the top 60cm and moist all the way to the ground. The potential for PSa seems very unlikely after we pass this warm stint of water moving through the snowpack in this area.
Avalanche
We saw two large wet slab below treeline (BTL) avalanches on west aspects that likely ran on 4/4 and one BTL northeast-facing wet slab than likely ran this morning. These were natural wet slab avalanches that ran to the ground. I later drove up CR 2 and saw multiple avalanches at all elevations that also ran on the ground in a thin snowpack likely in the last 48 hours.