Northern San Juan
AvalancheKrista Beyer · Nov 12, 2024 · Northern San Juan
Weather
About 1 cm of accumulated snow prior to 1pm. Gusty winds up to 50 mph obscured visibility at ridgeline.
Snowpack
Well connected coverage throughout basin. Snowpack is relatively uniform apart from a mid-pack hard layer that can be felt while probing. In the world of surface conditions, a weak melf-freeze crust is present on slopes with a southerly tilt. Wind-effected surface snow is limited to the first 100 feet below ridgeline. A beautiful surface of up to 2 cm surface hoar is preserved in sheltered areas below treeline.
Avalanche
Released a small wind slab on an open northeast slope adjacent to ridgeline. Slope is about 38 degrees and is a typical loading area during prevailing southwest winds. Wind slab was about 2-3 inches deep, slow moving, and traveled about 600 feet down mountain without gouging any deeper than surface snow.