Southern San Juan

Three to six inches of snow expected to fall in the Southern San Juan area Sunday into Monday. This will freshen the snow surface, but it doesn't change the overall avalanche hazard. With each passing day it is getting harder to trigger avalanches and we are receiving less reports of cracking and collapsing, but don't let the lack of obvious signs of instability lore you into steeper terrain.

You could trigger a large and dangerous avalanche on slopes steeper than around 35 degrees-especially near treeline. Avalanches triggered from lower-angled slopes could propagate uphill, creating a broader, more destructive slide. Wind-loaded, easterly-facing slopes have the deepest snowpack, and the largest avalanches observed on these aspects. Know what terrain is around you and give steep slopes a wide buffer.