Northern San Juan
AvalancheJeff Davis · Jan 26, 2017 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Clouds continue to dominate the sky. Brief moments of sunshine created pleasant skinning conditions. Temps were cool as winds were calm. Light snow showers were observed on Dallas Divide on the way home.
Snowpack
38 inches of snow has fallen in this area since 1/20/2017. The new snow continues to settle, but slowly due to cold temperatures. Obvious signs of wind-loading was observed at all elevations. The fattest areas were cross-loaded slopes above treeline, near the middle of the slope. Snowpack tests show insatiability's in the new snow , but they would not propagate. The most reactive layer was a layer of softer snow underneath the wind-slab that likely developed during Saturday's wind event. Cornices were observed on open ridelines. Isolated cracking was observed in the new snow, but no collapse. The new snow sits on a deep and consolidated snowpack created by January snowfall.
Avalanche
Large explosive trigger avalanches were observed on Ajax peak from the Town of Telluride