Southern San Juan

Clear and cold. Temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius and minimal wind.

Just below treeline at 11,500 feet on a north-facing slope, the snow depth (HS) was 80-90 centimeters. The surface consisted of 25 cm of low-density snow, with a very thin wind crust in exposed areas. This new snow is resting on a 3 cm, knife-hard, ice crust from our December 25 rain event. Below this ice crust, the snowpack consisted of 2-3 millimeter facets, with larger, mature facets near the ground. During an extended column test, the column fractured below the ice crust, but did not propagate (ECTN22).