Northern San Juan
AvalancheJeff Davis · Dec 10, 2021 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Light to moderate snowfall, southwest wind strong enough to move snow, and temperatures around freezing which made we want a second puffy.
Snowpack
Nineteen inches of snow equaling 1.4 inches of SWE measured this morning on the top of Red Mountain Pass. Since December 6th 28" of snow has been measured in this area , not including what fell after 6:00am this morning. The new snow has quickly overloaded the fragile snowpack. Rumbling collapses, cracking in the snow-surface, too much snow to efficiently ski downhill, and avalanche activity all observed today.
Avalanche
A rider triggered but was not caught in a small avalanche on a north-facing slope below-treeline. The avalanche was triggered from below as the rider moved toward the trees on the skier's right side of the slope. The rider was the 1st person on the slope on this day. This is an area that is heavily trafficked.