Avalanche forecast

Northern San Juan

Colorado Avalanche Information Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
Out of date — this forecast expired 6 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–2.5
  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

Avalanche Summary

New snow and west wind drifting snow increase your chance of triggering an avalanche. You can trigger avalanches in the new snow, but the main concern remains finding a shallow spot in the slab on a steep slope and triggering a large avalanche that breaks in the middle or bottom of the snowpack. The most dangerous slopes face the north half of the compass and east.

Choose low-angle planar slopes and avoid likely trigger points, like the thinner margins of a slab, convex rollovers, and shallowly buried rocks.

The strong March sun will start to warm the snow on sunny slopes. Watch for Loose avalanches in the new snow during the heat of the day. Avoid traveling on or under suspect, sunny, rocky slopes.

Regions covered