Northern San Juan

A natural avalanche cycle was observed in the Telluride, Silverton, and Ophir areas on Saturday morning, highlighting why this portion of the state has the highest avalanche danger. We have received almost daily reports of avalanche activity since early January, and it doesn't appear to take much to tip the scales. The most recent natural avalanche activity occurred on southerly facing slopes and trigged by wind-loading. Avalanches are breaking on weak snow near the ground.

Cohesive slabs of snow resting on top of a very weak snowpack increase the chance of triggering a large avalanche. Avalanches triggered from a shallow part of the slope can expand into deeper areas, step to the ground, and take the entire snowpack with it. Be aware of the terrain around you, and give yourself an extra buffer if traveling below steeper slopes or large avalanche paths. Avoid slopes steeper than about 35 degrees, and don't get lulled into a false sense of safety if you see fewer signs of unstable snow, like shooting cracks or audible collapses.