Northern San Juan

D1.5 out of northeast terrain above treeline. Likely occured during the strom and due to wind loading on the 26th.

Overcast with short flurries of snowfall. Moderate southwest winds and temperatures below freezing.

About 12 inches of heavy snow accumulated on the Velocity Basin road below about 11,400 feet. As you climb in elevation, snow decreased in density making for light spring powder conditions and higher snow totals. On north-facing terrain, about 2 feet of soft snow sits above a firm old surface formed under melt-freeze conditions and strong winds. This storm fell generally right-side up. At the top of the north-facing couloir, winds had stripped snow back to a firm surface, but right next door at the top of northeast terrain, winds had drifted snow into the start zone. We observed no instability apart from minor, slow-moving sluffs in the drifted snow, but did encounter soft debris from a slide that ran mid-storm. Deeper drifts appeared to be below ridgeline instead of right at ridgeline features. Short windows of sun between the overcast skies caused minor loose activity at the very surface of the recent snow. There's a chance a day of settlement and these short windows may slow a larger loose shed; however, with clear skies tomorrow, anticipate some movement in warming snow, particularly where steep cliffs and rocky slopes lie overhead.