Northern San Juan

Recent winds and another round of snowfall stress our fragile snowpack and elevate the avalanche danger. You can trigger a large and dangerous avalanche where firm slabs of snow rest above weak old snow. You’re most likely to find stiffer and more cohesive snow on open slopes or areas that receive wind drifting. West to north through southeast-facing slopes are the most dangerous. Avoid traveling near common trigger points, such as convex rollovers, shallow spots near rocky outcrops, or the edges of slopes where the margins of a slab are the thinnest and easiest to trigger. Give yourself a wide buffer from suspect slopes because you could trigger an avalanche from a distance or below. Tracks on a slope or a lack of cracking or collapsing do not indicate stable conditions. You may not experience any signs of instability before triggering a dangerous avalanche.