Northern San Juan
SnowpackJeremy Yanko · Dec 27, 2022 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Balmy for late December with increasing cloud cover and wind.
Snowpack
Snow surfaces, depths and coverages are highly variable amongst the primary avalanche paths of concern at this point in the season. Even one given slope for snow evaluation provides a fair amount of spatial variability and head scratching as to how a moisture laden storm may or may not bond and what will it take to see a a release near the ground? The one factor that appears nearly consistent (outside of south facing aspects) near/below treeline, is that a tenuous structure remains as the foundation. Cracking and audible collapsing can still be found if in previously undisturbed terrain. A thin but intact 3cm Pencil hard melt-freeze crust can be found on both east and west aspects below treeline. Northerly aspects in similar elevation bands at the sites selected gave way to 50cm or better boot penetration in a predominantly faceted profile with a deteriorating mid pack 4F slab. The northeast aspect in lower Porphyry Gulch @ 11k yielded snowpack test scores of ECTN27/CT12Q1 at 40cm down from a 85cm height of snow. Down a bit lower in the Brooklyn group on a west aspect, overall HS of 70cm mid path with many areas of 20cm near sparse tree cover. Snowpack test scores were unexpectedly bad, considering the 3 crust layers in the profile at this one site in a big group of paths. Easy failures noted: ECTP8/CT7/CT5 SC Ontop of a pencil hard crust glazed with ball-bearing facets above. The main layer of concern here sits at 20cm off the ground in a 70cm snowpack. Lets hope for a "squisher" of a storm cycle.