Northern San Juan

A good overnight freeze and cooler temperatures on Wednesday mean most slopes are safe from avalanches. However, if conditions are warmer and sunnier than expected, you might be able to trigger isolated wet avalanches on slopes steeper than about 35 degrees in the afternoon.

Slushy and/or unsupportable surface snow, small wet avalanches coming out of steep, rocky terrain, and rollerballs are all indications that more wet avalanche activity is imminent. If you start and end your day early, you can avoid this concern.

Get into and out of the mountains early to avoid wet avalanches. As the day progresses, the most recent snow will get wet and start to lose cohesion. Look for signs of increasing danger, such as wet avalanches running in steep rocky terrain, or wet, gloppy snow that sticks to everything. The most dangerous slopes are near and above treeline and face northwest through north to northeast. If you find yourself sinking deeper than about 8 inches into wet unconsolidated snow, it's time to call it a day.