Southern San Juan
AvalancheKrista Beyer · Dec 9, 2025 · Southern San Juan
Weather
Windy. Lewis weather station reported westerly winds averaging 26 mph with a peak gust of 61 mph. Temperatures at 12,000 feet just reached 32 degrees. Warmer weather is on the horizon; pack your skin wax.
Snowpack
At the start of the season the Columbus Basin SNOTEL site failed to report snowfall amounts, but SWE indicates that the majority of snowfall arrived around November 20th and 23rd. The La Plata's picked up another half an inch of water during the same winter storm that caused exciting driving conditions in Durango. Snowfall amounts are back up and running at the SNOTEL site and 20 inches of snow sit on the ground in Columbus Basin. Recent winds are the responsible party for a recent uptick in avalanche danger. Winds drifted snow into small slabs over a weak layer that developed during the cold and clear period at the start of the month. These slabs were reactive during pit tests (ECTP11, CT11), but not reactive to ski pressure. The distribution of this problem is generally spotty, and with warm weather on the horizon is trending less reactive. I did not find a well-developed basal weak layer on the slopes I travelled, but did find some mid-pack crusts. The most likely slopes to have a basal weak layer remain high north, which currently host wind-pressed and scoured surfaces.
Avalanche
I found a small avalanche triggered by wind loading on a SSE slope near 11,800 feet.