Northern San Juan

Avalanche

Chris Dickson · Oct 29, 2024 · Northern San Juan

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Weather

Strong southwesterly winds stripped southerly slopes and drifted significant amounts of snow onto northerly slopes above treeline. Defined cornices grew along ridgelines.

Snowpack

I dug two quick hand pits on northerly-facing slopes at 10,000 feet. I found around 8 to 12 inches of snow on the ground, about half of which fell in this storm. At this elevation, old snow from earlier in October settled into a crust over small facets.

Avalanche

Several small Wind Slab avalanches ran overnight on October 28 during a period of strong winds and heavier precipitation intensity.