Northern San Juan

You can trigger large and dangerous avalanches where recent snow accompanied by strong winds formed cohesive slabs over newly buried weak layers. Avalanches will be larger where winds have drifted snow into deep, widely connected slabs on leeward and cross-loaded slopes.

The most dangerous slopes face the north half of the compass, where you could trigger an avalanche in the new snow that steps down into deeper buried weak layers, breaking deeper and broader than expected. You can find safer travel on slopes less than about 35 degrees in steepness and in areas that are protected from the wind.