Northern San Juan
AvalancheJeff Davis · Apr 8, 2018 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Skies became partly cloudy around 10 am after a wild night of thunder and lightning. Temperatures were mild and the sun shined.
Snowpack
4-6 inches of dense graupel was left on the surface of a saturated snowpack. The top 20 cm's was wet by the rain event up to around 13,000 feet. After the initial rain triggered a natural small cycle the new snow bonded well. The rain melted many areas at lower elevations. The snow stayed cold and dry on shady North facing slopes above treeline. The higher you were in elevation the better the snow.
Avalanche
Natural cycle observed that likely happened at the peak of the rain event.