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Southern San Juan

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Southern San Juan

Published: May 9th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: May 5th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Apr 4th, 2026

At 11,600 ft on a north-facing slope near treeline, the height of snow was 160 cm. The upper 40 cm consisted of dry, new snow from the 4/1 storm. Evidence of meltwater was observed 90 cm below the surface. The remainder of the snowpack was composed of moist facets measuring 2–3 mm. The new snow bonded well to the old snow, and an extended column test produced no results.

Southern San Juan

Published: Mar 29th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Mar 31st, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Mar 26th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Mar 10th, 2026

Near and below treeline SE-S-W aspects are cooked with little to no snow coverage. East still has below treeline coverage and is hanging onto the snow from the last storm. I dug on a slope that was east-facing around 11,600 ft and 112cm in depth. I recieved a CT17 and an ECTX. A best guess says about 10 cm of snow has melted or settled in the last two weeks on east aspects (comparable with nearby SNOTEL site). This snow was likely lost during a period of warm temperatures and superficial freezing from the 27th through the 1st of March. Percolation columns in the slab and rounding depth hoar indicate that water has moved through the entirety of the snowpack during this warming period on east slopes. Another warm period is fast approaching and while the slab-weak layer combination has lost the energy for persistent slab issues, it still has the structure and is building avenues for free-flowing water that may cause wet slab instabilities down the line. Wet slabs are hard to predict and often do not rear their heads, but if you look at the recipe of structure, snow depth, and rapid wetting, east aspects are the most likely aspect to develop wet slab instabilities.

Southern San Juan

Published: Mar 4th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Mar 2nd, 2026

In the past 10 days the snowpack has undergone rapid settlement. North and northeast slopes still carry a thick slab of recent snow, around 50 cm thick below treeline. The slab maintains 1 Finger hand hardness and a strong-over-weak structure. Hard propagating results point towards a poor structure that is becoming increasingly stubborn and challenging to impact. Below treeline, tests failed on our basal weak layer over a meter from the surface, whereas near treeline tests failed near the February 11th drought layer.

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 28th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 26th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 26th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 23rd, 2026

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.

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 24th, 2026

Digging on the north and northeast slopes above a natural and remote triggered avalanche showed no test results, as the recent snow has settled into a slab that makes up almost 2/3 of the current snowpack. The new snow sits over weaker faceted snow that makes up around the bottom 50 cms of the snowpack. Hand hardness in the new snow went from fist to 1 finger, getting stiffer with depth. Snowpack testing showed hard failures in the basal weak layer, which matched some of the surrounding avalanche activity. The boot pen was only 20 cm, and the ski pen was around 10 cms. No cracking No collapsing.

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 24th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 21st, 2026

On south to west-facing slopes, the new snow sat over a firm but breakable crust. The sun was already warming these slopes, and there were rollerballs on the slopes below treeline by the afternoon. These slopes were highly variable in coverage--some slopes were wind stripped, others had 40 inches of new snow, and some slopes were bare ground by the afternoon. The sun is having the most significant impact on these solar slopes as we approach spring. On north to east-facing slopes, the new snow from this week came in waves. This new snow is mostly breaking within the storm snow layer about 8 to 12 inches below the surface, above wind-stiffened snow early in the storm. However, some of these avalanches are breaking deeper in the old snow at the near surface facets sitting below the storm snow from 2/14 and 2/16. Additionally, the avalanche I remotely triggered appears to have stepped down into an even older layer of snow.

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 21st, 2026

Approximately 1 Meter of new storm snow starting at fist density at the top and moving down to 4 finger, and a 6cm slab of 1 finger storm snow from Tuesday (Feb 18th) at the bottom. Below that was a thin firm crust ( < 1cm) and 15-30 cm of 6-8 mm depth hoar facets at the bottom of the snow pack.

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 21st, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 22nd, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 22nd, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 22nd, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 21st, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 20th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 19th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 18th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 19th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 19th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 19th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 19th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 17th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 17th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 14th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 14th, 2026

I dug a pit at 11,500 feet on an east-facing slope that had some evidence of wind drifting. With enough of a slab over facets, I got an extended column test to propagate (ECTP 11) just below the new snow. The rest of the snowpack has mostly turned to facets, and the 12/25 crust was still present and knife hard in this area. However, the buried near-surface facets on north- to east-facing slopes near treeline are the bigger concern with more snow on the way.

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 9th, 2026

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).

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 9th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 6th, 2026

The past week on Wolf Creek Pass has seen more days than not with temperatures in the high 30s. Today was no exception, with a high around 38 degrees. Wind lightly gusted out of the south west, but ample evidence of strong gusting winds since the last snowfall on January 24th was observed on ridge tops, with snow being deposited on east through north through north-west facing slopes.

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 4th, 2026

While the last 12 days with no snow, warm days, and clear nights created an upper snowpack of facets. These weak facets rest on one of our crusts from either December or January (likely December, since we received more rain during that event). Right now, this is where you’ll find the Loose Dry avalanche problem, where you can get quick-moving sluffs on steep slopes. We did not notice any of these gouging into surfaces below this crust, even on more of the northerly-facing terrain. In most places we traveled, we did not encounter many slabs, but in a few places, you could still find wind-drifted snow over weak snow. These areas are not well connected, especially below treeline. We dug in one of these drifted spots, just to see what would happen, and we got some propagating results down about a foot on top of one of the rain crusts. These areas are not widespread, but they do exist in the terrain.

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 1st, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Feb 1st, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Jan 31st, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Jan 30th, 2026

Below treeline north slopes hold trapdoor conditions. The snow is weakening to the point you may start to get some loose dry on very shallow and steep areas (isolated and stubborn, but start keeping an eye out as conditions continue to weaken). Near treeline wind slabs still exist, but are isolated and stubborn in this area. I did observe some minor collapsing while travelling at this elevation band. Above treeline contains a mix of surface conditions. On north, northeast, and northwest slopes there are a variety of breakable wind skims overlying softer grains. Thicker slabs formed with the recent snow were isolated to cross-loaded terrain features. I found an area with a handful of mid-pack slabs from previous wind events. Although the strong over weak structure exists, I received no test results on these layers.

Southern San Juan

Published: Jan 28th, 2026

Snow pack is shallow, where we traveled 50cm was the deepest we observed. New snow from Friday and Saturday's storm has settled into three to four inches. Underneath new snow, there was a fairly supportable crust on top of unconsolidated facets.

Southern San Juan

Published: Jan 26th, 2026

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).

Southern San Juan

Published: Jan 25th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Jan 16th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Jan 20th, 2026

On below treeline, south-facing slopes the height of snow is 60-70 cm. A melt freeze crust sits over 20 cm of 1-2 mm facets. This sits over the 12/25/25 crust, which is breaking down (four-finger hand hardness) as the crust and the moist grains below it have begun to form into clustered, rounded grains. Near treeline, we dug a pit on a northwest-facing slope at 11,600'. The height of snow was 90 cm. The upper portion of the snowpack is a pencil-hard layer of wind-pressed snow. In extended column tests, this layer propagated (ECTP 6) at the facets below it. This test shows the potential for small avalanches in recently wind-drifted, isolated terrain features. However, while touring and skiing, this stubborn, small slab was cracking inconsistently right under our skis.

Northern San Juan

Published: Jan 18th, 2026

Northern San Juan

Published: Jan 14th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Jan 12th, 2026

Southern San Juan

Published: Jan 12th, 2026

At 11,700 feet on a sheltered, north-facing slope, the snow depth (HS) was 80-90 centimeters. The top 10-15 cm consisted of 1 mm faceting grains from our January 7-8 storm. Below the recent storm layer is a dense, 15-20 cm layer of decomposing and fragmented particles, and 1-2 millimeter facets, over a pencil-hard, 2 cm crust from the December 25 rain event. Directly below the crust are mature facets and depth hoar to the ground. During two extended column tests and a compression test, the snowpack failed below the crust while isolating the column (ECTPV, CTV). To round out our observations, on exposed north and east-facing slopes, the surface snow was wind-scoured with a supportable crust, and on the south-facing slopes, roller balls were forming in the early afternoon.

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