Southern San Juan
SnowpackChris Bilbrey · Dec 15, 2019 · Southern San Juan
Weather
Broken skies in the morning gave way to light snowfall till around 1500. Snowfall increased to S2 during the late afternoon. Winds were generally light with moderate gust along exposed alpine ridges. Temperatures in the low to mid 20s F.
Snowpack
Snow depths appear above average in the La Plata Mountains for mid-December. We found around 10" of right-side-up storm snow with drifting in the range of 16-20" along ridges and in cross-loaded terrain features - settled snow depths are over 1 meter above 10,000 feet. Evidence of small, shallow storm slabs that most likely ran during the afternoon on 12/14. Once we climbed into the alpine, we observed localized cracking in thicker wind-drifted areas but slabs remained soft. Near surface facets found in snowpits on northerly, east, and southeast-facing slopes. Southeast aspects have multiple crust/ facet combinations. Faceted crust closest to the surface is the most concerning. Overlying slab was non-reactive with ski pressure and in long-column test. Same scenario on northerly-facing terrain today but might become concerning with additional load. Thinner crust found on east-facing slopes. Facets at the ground continue to round and show signs of gaining strength. At the moment, it feels like we need a big wallop to get weaker snow at the ground to fail and produce natural avalanches. Blissful riding conditions can be found on lower-angled, wind-sheltered terrain.