Northern San Juan
AvalancheAnn Mellick · Dec 2, 2016 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Cloudy and cool with light winds above treeline. Intermittent snow showers added up to ~1/2" during the tour.
Snowpack
The average snow depth was 70cm, though varied from approx 30-80 cm. We found even thinner areas in the alpine zone. Recent snowfall was quickly turning to facets on all aspects due to several days of very cold temperatures. Overall very little slab nor tension in the snowpack due to faceting. Even areas in the alpine that seemed like they were wind slab are being chewed through by faceting process. While not a problem now, it will be with subsequent snowfall. Shallowly buried rocks and sticks are a currently real hazard. While the snowpack is roughly 70cm deep, one is often skiing on the ground due to weak snow structure.
Avalanche
No observed slides. However, snow was almost weak enough for the weight of a skier to cause facet sluffs on shady below treeline slopes.