Southern San Juan

Around six inches of snow fell Sunday night, and a few more inches of snow are expected before sunrise Tuesday. You can trigger an avalanche on slopes with around 8 inches or more of drifted snow. The deepest drifts are on northerly and easterly-facing slopes; avalanches on those slopes will be larger. You are more likely to trigger an avalanche near ridges, on steep rollovers, and in cross-loaded gullies around 35 degrees in steepness. Strong gusts over the weekend formed problematic drifts in unusual places or lower down the slope. Avoid traveling where the snow surface looks smooth and pillow-like, and adjust your travels if you see cracking in the snow.