Southern San Juan
SnowpackChris Bilbrey · Nov 15, 2022 · Southern San Juan
Weather
Cool day despite sunny skies. Light wind along ridgetops with moderate gusts. The only cloud cover hung east of the range.
Snowpack
The main body of the snowpack has weakened a lot over the past week in the La Plata Mountains. We observed top-down and ground-up degradation at all elevation bands on northerly slopes. The top 10 to 12 cm on easterly slopes above treeline has become cohesionless, but the bottom of the pack is holding on for now. Across the terrain we traveled, ski penetration varied from 10 to 15 cm, and boot penetration to the ground. The average height of snow on north-facing slopes was 20 to 35 cm below treeline, 30 to 50 cm near treeline, and 40 to 60 cm above treeline. The mid-pack of the November slab is the only supportive layering we encountered, which varies from 4F to 1F depending on the location. Snowpack layers on slopes above 12,000 have been stiffened by recent winds and are overall more supportive. However, faceting is in full effect immediately below a firm surface crust or windshield. No cracking or collapses on our travels. Isolated pockets of deeper drifted snow over old, October snow still lingers across the landscape, but recent wind scouring has taken a toll on problem spot distribution.