Northern San Juan

An increase in westerly winds will be drifting recent snowfall into stiffer slabs on leeward slopes and in cross-loaded gullies above treeline. It will be easier to trigger an avalanche on slopes around 35 degrees or steeper, and where the snow surface looks smooth or rounded. Adjust your travels to lower-angle slopes protected from the wind if you see cracking in the snow, or the snow surface transitions from soft to stiff. Continually assess how conditions change throughout the day to avoid an unexpected avalanche encounter. Even a small, isolated avalanche can lead to a rough ride or unfortunate outcome in the wrong terrain.

Triggering a deeper breaking avalanche has become less likely, but is still a lingering potential in shallow areas on steeper slopes. These low-probability avalanches can be consequential in more complex or extreme terrain. Shallow, trigger spots lurk near rock outcroppings, on steep rollovers, and in wind-exposed areas below ridges and cliffs.