Northern San Juan
AvalancheAmy Pertuz · Dec 25, 2022 · Northern San Juan
Weather
A pleasant day today with mild temperatures in the twenties by mid morning. Increasing high, thin cloud cover. Winds light.
Snowpack
The snowpack in this area ranges from 55cm to 80cm on easterly aspects. Surface hoar to 6mm was abundant in the RMP corridor, with little wind to push it down. Ski penetration averages 15 cm, but a stiff 10cm wind crust from strong northerly winds last week is not far beneath this soft surface. This made for variable ski penetration along with the variable drifting. A pit near tree line on an east aspect produced an ECTP on a crust facet combo 35cm deep on 16 taps. Surface clues gave good hints to where wind-affected snow can be found, even below tree line. Near-surface facets and surface hoar make for nice riding conditions but will make for a weak surface for incoming storm snow. No cracking or collapsing today in areas traveled, a first in a long while. In the alpine, recent northerly winds has left a lot of the snow in cross or lee features and stripped elsewhere.
Avalanche
No avalanches seen today