Northern San Juan

You can trigger an avalanche in pockets of wind-drifted snow above treeline. The most dangerous areas are where recent strong southwesterly winds formed cohesive drifts on top of old, weaker snow. You can find wind-drifted snow below ridgelines, in gullies, and cross-loaded terrain. Avoid traveling on stiff, hollow snowdrifts on slopes steeper than about 35 degrees.

Several days of warm temperatures followed by overnight temperatures below freezing reduce the potential for wet avalanches and make it more difficult to trigger an avalanche that breaks deep within the snowpack. While peak instability for wet avalanches is behind us, warm temperatures remain in the forecast. If you sink into wet snow above your boot tops or the snow begins to glop onto your equipment, retreat to shady or lower-angled slopes.