Northern San Juan

You can trigger an avalanche where new settled snow and strong winds form cohesive slabs. Avalanches will be larger and more dangerous on slopes where winds drift snow into thicker and more connected slabs. The thickest slabs, corresponding to larger avalanches, are on slopes that face north to east to southeast. Avalanches on the northern half of the compass could break into deeper buried weak layers.

Cracking in the new snow, natural avalanches on similar slopes, or collapsing are all signs of instability and indicators to move to a lower angle slope. You can find safer travel on slopes protected from the wind and on slopes less than about 30 degrees steep.