Northern San Juan

You can trigger an avalanche where the newest snow forms cohesive slabs on steep slopes. Avalanches will be larger and easier to trigger at upper elevations where strong winds drift snow into deeper and stiffer slabs. You can also trigger an avalanche that breaks deeper in the snowpack on slopes facing west to north through east, where buried weak layers persist within the upper half of the snowpack.

Cracking or collapsing are red flags indicating you should move to lower-angled slopes. But be aware, you may not get any feedback from the snowpack before triggering an avalanche. You can find safer travel on slopes protected from the wind and less than about 35 degrees in steepness.