Southern San Juan
AvalancheChris Bilbrey · Mar 3, 2022 · Southern San Juan
Weather
Thin, high clouds moved overhead around 1 pm and kept temperatures from getting too warm. Light south wind became gusty around 3 pm.
Snowpack
The snowpack in general was quieter today compared to just two days ago, and traveling in terrain just 6 miles apart. We did experience one loud, meadow wide collapse with cracking around 11,300 feet. No C/C on slopes approaching 35 degrees. Snowpits on varying northerly aspects and elevations yielded similar results where weak facets failed below a dense slab with moderate-light force. Warm temperatures since 2/25 has allowed the upper slab to settle into a mostly 1F to P- slab above 4F- to F hard facets. On the surface, snow remains soft on northerly-facing slopes but started to get sticky below treeline by late-afternoon. Any slope that sees direct sunlight has some form of varying crust thickness/ wet snow grain combination near the surface. Crust are thicker and more robust across those slopes at higher elevations. However, the snowpack is still cold/ dry where east and west slopes tilt slightly to the north. We found trap-door conditions while exiting the mountains on E-S-W facing slopes below treeline. Some places, we easily punched through to the ground where wet, poly-grains dominate the snowpack.
Avalanche
No fresh avalanche activity.