Northern San Juan

Low-density snowfall Thursday night didn’t do much to change the avalanche hazard. If traveling in steeper terrain and you find about 8 inches of new snow, minimize your exposure above consequential terrain features like cliffs, gullies, and terrain traps – this elevated concern is confined to places along US 550 north of Red Mountain Pass. While triggering a large, dangerous avalanches has become harder, steep, unsupported slopes with uneven snow coverage or freshly drifted areas are more prone to avalanche. Lower in elevation, very weak cohesionless snow sits below the recent snowfall, so watch out for fast-moving sluffs on continuously steep slopes that could knock you over and push you somewhere you don’t want to go.