Northern San Juan
SnowpackAnn Mellick · Mar 5, 2020 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Sunny and warm
Snowpack
Recent warm and sunny weather along with the very dry month of February shows in the current snowpack along the corridor. Only 17" of snow fell on LHP and a mere 8" in Rico last month. Many of the avalanche paths are southerly and as such have lost significant volume and are turning towards a more springlike regime. Some paths have melted to bare ground in places and do not have enough volume to support avalanches to the highway. Others, particularly shady slopes, continue to hold snow. The height of snow on flat ground has scarcely decreased. Slides are unlikely at this point and will not become an issue unless we receive significant new snowfall. The most volatile snow continues to be on shady slopes, where the snowpack remains cold and large facets abound.