Northern San Juan
SnowpackAnn Mellick · Jan 5, 2020 · Northern San Juan
Weather
mostly sunny, warm and windy. Strong and gusty SW winds.
Snowpack
The main story for the past few days has been the wind: first from the north, then the west and today the south and southwest. This means virtually all aspects have been wind affected- whether stripped, loaded or pressed. Winds slabs of varying thickness and hardness can be found near and above treeline, some are drummy and hollow. Strong winds have filtered into below treeline areas as well. So, the snow on virtually all aspects and elevations have some degree of wind-affect. Additionally, warm temperatures this weekend left surface crusts on sunny slopes. These are not problematic now, but will be something to watch with our next loading event. With ample snowfall and wind, all slopes have become quite a bit more layered and complex over the past weeks.