Northern San Juan

You could trigger an avalanche in wind-drifted snow at upper elevations. The most dangerous slopes face west through north to east, where winds form deeper slabs on lee slopes and in cross-loaded terrain.

Weak layers remain preserved in the snowpack on northwest, north, and northeast-facing slopes. Although increasingly stubborn to trigger, recent observations indicate humans can still impact these weak layers. The largest avalanches reported recently have been on steep, open, and rocky slopes.

Look for cracking in the snow surface as a sign of instability. The most dangerous slopes will hold more than about 8 inches of wind-stiffened snow. For safer travel, seek out wind-sheltered terrain at lower elevations.