Northern San Juan
SnowpackBill Nalli · Nov 26, 2019 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Nice storm left 10-14 inches of new low density snow. Moderate to strong NW wind for most of the storm transported snow onto NE, E and SE aspects. Storm and skies cleared late afternoon.
Snowpack
This last sleeper storm was a game changer for the western side of the San Juan's. 11 to 16 inches of low density snow fell near Ophir and Telluride. This has put the scales close to the tipping point. This sits on top of 8 to 10 inches of settled snow from last week that began to facet with the two days of cold and clear before today's storm. Below this sits depth hoar from October storms. This layering will not support the weight of a person. I experienced a large collapse at 11,800' on a wind loaded NE aspect that is a reminder that this structure is not to be trusted. Especially when it has received a large new load in a short time. Below treeline there is not much old snow near the ground and stability is greater.