Southern San Juan

A significant natural cycle occurred during the storm with evidence of avalanches failing earlier and later in the storm cycle. Most of the activity I saw was on northeast slopes near below treeline. These were the main slopes I had a good view of while travelling.

Balmy. Temperatures rose above freezing at 11,000 feet and winds were generally light out of the west. The Columbus Basin SNOTEL site picked up 3.9 in of SWE from the 11th-21st of February.

I dug on slopes with an east element. East, northeast, and southeast. Below and near treeline slopes that face east or slightly northeast are stubborn with repeatable hard propagating failures on the February 11th drought layer (70-80cm down). A collapse near ridgeline suggests that loaded convexities and steep start zones are good places to avoid as the snowpack adjusts. I failed to observe any other instabilities on the uphill or downhill while skiing or skining. On the southeast, I found moist grains all the way to a firm crust layer. Near and below treeline appeared to have already run their course in the wet problem department. Instabilities were limited to surface roller balls and pinwheels despite water moving through the entirety of the recent snow. East to south through west aspects that had previous snow, crusts or weak grains, now have a source for a wetting front (and possible wet problems if temperatures rise above freezing overnight) with the recent snowfall. In the meantime, with freezing overnight temperatures, wet problems appear to be related to just the surface snow.