Northern San Juan

Recent natural and remotely-triggered avalanches all point to the fact that you can easily trigger an avalanche that fails on a buried weak layer and is big enough to bury, injure, or kill you. You may be able to trigger these avalanches from a distance or from below, and they can run long distances.

Continue to be on alert for cracking and collapsing as signs of instability, but don't let your guard down if you don't experience these red flags. Careful planning and conservative terrain selection are essential for safe travel in backcountry avalanche terrain. For safer travel, simply avoid avalanche terrain altogether, including runout zones, and stick to slopes less than about 30 degrees steep.

Warm temperatures and strong sunshine will increase the chances of wet avalanches on sunny slopes in the afternoon. Pinwheels and rollerballs are an early warning sign to get off sunny slopes.