Northern San Juan

You can trigger an avalanche on steep slopes where you find a cohesive slab of surface snow resting above weak layers buried from two to four feet deep. Upper-elevation northerly and east-facing slopes, where wind-drifted snow forms thicker, stiffer slabs, are the most dangerous areas. Most avalanches will break in recent storm layers, but some may break deeper, producing a larger, more dangerous slide. Avoid traveling near cornices on ridgelines or on slopes beneath large cornices. Slopes less than about thirty five degrees provide safer options.

Move off steep slopes once you sink past your ankles into wet snow. Loose avalanches will be easy to trigger on very steep slopes once the snow surface becomes saturated. The soggy snow will follow the sun from east to south to west as the day progresses, and up in elevation with the warming temperatures.

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