Southern San Juan

It is getting more challenging to trigger a large, dangerous avalanche that breaks on buried weak layers. You are most likely to trigger such an avalanche where you find a shallow area of the snowpack. Likely trigger points exist near rock outcroppings, on steep rollovers, and below ridges and cliff bands. You can trigger a smaller avalanche where winds have recently drifted snow onto northerly and easterly-facing slopes. Small avalanches in the wind-drifted snow could step down to buried weak layers in the middle of the snowpack, triggering a larger and more dangerous slide. Use caution on steeper wind-drifted slopes that have a rounded or wave-like appearance or where the snow surface transitions from soft to stiff.

You can find safer riding options below treeline, or on low-angled, wind-sheltered slopes without steep overhead hazards.