Northern San Juan
AvalancheJeff Davis · Mar 13, 2024 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Steady snowfall thought out the duration of the tour. Average snowfall rate of S1 with heavier moments. Tempatures in the mid to low 20's. Light wind.
Snowpack
4"-8" of light and dry new snow observed in the Lower Waterfall area. The new snow fell on crust's on all but north slopes and not bonding well to any slick surface. While skiing conditions felt more like "dust-on-crust" as my skies edged into the old surface and you could feel old tracks, but the new snow was so light it flew up over my shoulders. Very little slab or density in the new snow, but one would think this would change as snow continues over the next few days and the new snow settles and stiffens. The new snow was not reactive in snowpack tests. Digging down below the new/old interface a series of crust and facets sit in the top meter of the snowpack that could become reactive with a new load. These crust/facets layers were assonated with the dust layer and the weather prior to the storm are the driver for there formation. Below the upper layers a stout 1-finger slab that consist of rounded snow grains makes up the main portion of the middle of the snowpack. Main take-aways for digging, the new snow is no slabby yet, as the new load incenses avalanches could step into these older weak-layers near the surface and that will allow avalanche to break further and even extend around terrain features.
Avalanche
I was able to trigger small Loose avalanches that broke around my skies on steep slopes. These Loose avalanches would gain mass as they moved down hill but confined to the slope. I also say one natural avalanche in Eldo on a north slope that failed in a steep slope.