Southern San Juan

Clear and warm. Temperatures were 50 degrees Fahrenheit at 10,000 feet and no wind.

Below treeline in a north-facing gully at 11,000 feet, the snow depth (HS) was 90-110 centimeters. The upper layer of the snowpack, from the surface down to 49 cm, consisted of 1-2 millimeter, near-surface facets. This faceted layer rests on a 3-4 cm knife-hard ice crust from late December. This ice crust was quite prevalent in the area we were observing, with no signs of breaking down. Below this ice crust, the snowpack consisted of 2-3 millimeter facets, with larger, mature facets near the ground. During two extended column tests, the column fractured above the ice crust, with the fracture fully propagating. (ECTP16 and 19).