San Juan Hut Route

The fundamental problem here isn't avalanche danger or weather — it's that there's no snow. SNOTEL at Annie Springs (6,021 ft) is showing 1 inch of snow depth with 0.1 inches SWE, and lower stations at McNeil Canyon and Long Lake are at zero. The San Juan Hut Route runs through terrain that tops out well above 11,000 feet, and even there, mid-November 2026 hasn't delivered a base yet. You'd be on dirt, rock, and frozen ground, not skiable snowpack. The avalanche bulletin is a clean Low across all elevations with no identified problems — but that's academic when there's nothing to slide.

The weather window this week is actually excellent, which makes the timing frustrating. High temperatures in the low-to-mid 40s, calm winds under 10 mph, and mostly sunny skies through Friday give you ideal travel conditions. Friday night brings a 69% chance of snow showers with 10 mph SSW winds — that's the first hint of a loading event, but it won't build a base in a single night. The freezing level stays well above the lower elevation hut approaches during the days, meaning any precipitation that does fall at lower elevations will be rain, not snow.

Stream crossing data in the raw feed appears to be sourced from California gauges — not relevant to the San Juan Mountains. Disregard those numbers for this trip. Daylight is tight at 10h 16m with a 5:04 PM sunset, so if you were touring, an early start would matter. But right now that's a secondary concern.

Watch the SNOTEL at Molas Lake or Red Mountain Pass for the San Juans specifically — those stations will tell you when a real base is building. A 24-to-36-inch base at upper elevations is typically when the hut route becomes viable for skiing. Check back after the next significant storm cycle and reassess.