Northern San Juan

Wind-loaded slopes with cohesive slabs on top of a weak snowpack increases your chance to trigger an avalanche. 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 once moving downhill taking the entire snowpack with it. 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.