Northern San Juan
SnowpackJeff Davis Colin Mitchell · Jan 6, 2020 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Cold start to a bluebird morning in the Red Mountain Pass area. Northwest winds were strong in the alpine, but calm at lower elevations.
Snowpack
Nothing unexpected in the Brooklyn's. Like many west-facing below-treeline slopes, the snowpack is strong and not reactive in snowpit tests. HS observed to be over a meter while near-surface facets dominate the snow surface. Hardness generally increases with depth until the layer of 2-4 mm rounding facets and depth hoar above the ground. Any slope that faced more south has a crust on the surface. The snowpack on these aspects was only around 50 cm's and 3 crust/facets layers persist. We discussed that the southern Brooklyn's that have a more exposed start zone are likely more wind-affected. Our general impression is that there is good coverage in these highway paths, but they don't look "fat." With the next new load we will be dealing with new/old snow problem unless we get an intense multiple-day storm.