Southern San Juan

Dangerous avalanche conditions exist on most slopes after a second night with no freeze to 11,000ft. You can trigger a large wet slab avalanche on slopes where you experience wet, cohesionless surface conditions or sink past your ankles. Sunny slopes facing east to south through west are the most dangerous areas, with the danger increasing into upper elevations and shadier slopes as the day warms. Avoid slopes with dust-tinted surfaces or where you see rollerballs of wet snow on the surface, and stay out from under cliff bands which can accelerate meltwater. Avoid travel beneath large cornices, which may break unpredictably and trigger large avalanches on the slopes below.

While a clear night may create a light surface freeze on some slopes, wet snow problems will linger Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, and an early start does not guarantee that you will find well-frozen slopes. Give a wide berth to steep slopes to avoid these unpredictable wet avalanches for another day. Supportable slopes under thirty degrees without steep terrain above offer safer options.

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