Northern San Juan

You can trigger an avalanche where new snow and strong winds form thick, cohesive slabs on lee slopes. Avalanches will be larger and more dangerous on slopes where wind drifts are deeper and on slopes that face west to north through east, which harbor buried weak layers in the upper snowpack.

Cracking in the new snow, natural avalanches on similar slopes, or collapsing are all signs of instability and indicators to move to a lower angle slope. You can find safer travel on slopes protected from the wind and on slopes less than about 30 degrees steep.