Northern San Juan

Cohesive slabs of snow resting on top of a very weak snowpack increase your chances of triggering a large avalanche on slopes steeper than around 35 degrees. Triggering an avalanche from a shallow part of the slope below cliffs, close to rock outcrops, and near ridgelines can expand into deeper areas and could step to the ground, taking the entire snowpack with it. Stick to low-angled slopes and know what terrain surrounds you. Don’t get lulled into a false sense of safety if signs of unstable snow, like shooting cracks or audible collapses, are absent.

Day-over-day warming may produce loose slides on southerly-facing slopes. If you trigger a small avalanche in the warming surface snow and it gains mass as it travels downhill, there is the potential to trigger a larger, more dangerous dry snow avalanche that breaks near the ground.