Northern San Juan

You can trigger a loose snow avalanche where you find more than about 8 inches of new snow. Move to lower-angle slopes if you observe signs of instability, such as recent avalanches or cracking in the new snow. Small slides in steep terrain can grow larger and pick up speed, becoming dangerous if pushed into terrain traps like gullies, trees, or cliffs.

Avalanches in the new snow could step down to deeper buried weak layers, releasing a larger slide that breaks wide. This is most likely on steep slopes that face northerly or easterly in areas where the weak layer is closer to the surface. Common trigger spots include exposed rocks and below ridges and cliffs. Safer options exist on wind sheltered and below treeline slopes less than 35 degrees steep without steep slopes above.