Southern San Juan
AvalancheChris Bilbrey · Apr 20, 2022 · Southern San Juan
Weather
Warm, sunny day with southwest wind. Wind speed and duration of higher gusts decreased throughout the day.
Snowpack
During the morning hours, we found a firm refrozen snow surface despite mild overnight temperatures. Boot penetration on easterly slopes below and near treeline was around 2 to 3 inches and skis barley broke through the surface. However, this changed during the day as temperatures climbed into the low 50s at 11,000 feet. By later in the afternoon, below treeline slopes got sloppy and trap door conditions encountered even on northerly-facing terrain. The wind near and above treeline kept snow surfaces in check, but the top 3 to 4 inches softened on east to south through west-facing slopes all the way above 13,000 feet. Wet surface snow was stubborn to sluff downhill from skip pressure on slopes approaching 35 degrees - even with a hard refrozen layer below. Northerly slopes above treeline are not escaping the warmth with melt-water traveling around a foot or more below the surface. Digging deeper in a snowpit on a north-facing slope at 11,900 feet and below the wetting front, the snowpack is moist trending to dry. The drought facets were over a meter deep with no evidence of wetting. The snow surface on northerly-facing alpine slopes was a mixture of hot powder, soft Sastrugi, and breakable melt-freeze crust.
Avalanche
Several more recent Loose Wet avalanches on easterly slopes above treeline.