Valanga

Northern San Juan

Chris DicksonNorthern San Juan
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Weather

Cold morning of single digits followed by warm sunshine and a gentle breeze.

Snowpack

New snow continues to settle and transform. Sunny slopes are quickly developing melt-freeze crusts. Shady slopes feature faceting snow. Reactivity at the old snow/new snow interface (the 11/25 PWL) slowly decreases from warm days and cold nights. The snowpack is settling and supportive to ski pressure, with ski penetration only about 10cm deep. But step out of your skis, and you sink to the bottom of a primarily faceted snowpack. On a below treeline northeast-facing slope, stability tests showed repeated failures at the 11/25 PWL (CT22 SP, ECTP16). Near treeline, on a north-facing slope, tests showed propagating results where a wind slab sits over facets underneath the 11/25 interface (ECTP12).

Avalanche

We observed many natural avalanches, mostly on northerly, northeasterly, and easterly slopes at all elevations.