Northern San Juan

New snow and southwest winds will be forming fresh slabs on northerly and easterly-facing slopes at upper elevations. Fresh drifting is adding more stress to the same slopes with stubborn, weak snow layers one to two feet deep. Triggering an avalanche may be easier where slabs form above a firm, slippery sliding surface, or on slopes with about 8 inches of new snow. Shallow slides may provoke a deeper failure on steep, rocky slopes with thinner snow coverage.

During the spring, elevation strongly influences how much new snow accumulates. Continually monitor snow totals as you move around the mountains, and adjust your travels if you see cracking in freshly drifted snow, or the snow surface gets stiffer. Even a small, isolated avalanches can lead to an unfortunate outcome in the wrong terrain.