Northern San Juan

Tuesday, a skier remotely triggered an avalanche on Del Norte peak and was caught, carried, but not buried after deploying there airbag on a north-facing slope. You can trigger an avalanche on wind-loaded slopes where a firm layer of snow sit above weaker snow below. While most avalanches will be small because of how shallow and cohesionless the snowpack is, some could expand into deeper areas, and may step to the ground triggering a larger more dangerous slide. Use caution traveling below steeper slopes or large avalanche paths, and don’t get lulled into a false sense of safety if you see few signs of unstable snow like shooting cracks or audible collapses. Small avalanches can turn into bigger problems if you get stuffed into a terrain trap or pushed over a cliff.