Northern San Juan

The most dangerous areas are wind-loaded slopes above the treeline. Strong northerly winds Wednesday night and Thursday will drift the new snow into thick slabs on easterly and south-facing slopes. Avoid areas below ridgetops and in cross-loaded gullies with a rounded snow surface or where the snow feels hard underfoot. Pay attention to the direction a slope faces and choose an alternative route if you see cracking in the snow. If you trigger a slide near the surface, there is an outside chance it could step down into deeper weak snow layers resulting in a larger, more dangerous avalanche.