Northern San Juan

You could trigger an avalanche where wind-stiffened snow forms cohesive slabs on slopes steeper than about 35 degrees. The most dangerous slopes face west through north to east, where widespread weak snow lurks beneath recent drifted snow. Reduce your chances of triggering an avalanche by traveling on simple terrain and planar slopes, where you’re less likely to find a shallow spot in the slab. Avoid common trigger points, such as convex rollovers, rocky outcrops, or the edges of slopes where the margins of a slab are the thinnest. Give yourself a wide buffer from suspect slopes steeper than around 35 degrees. You could trigger an avalanche from below, and avalanches could break wider than you expect. You’re unlikely to witness any obvious signs of instability before triggering a dangerous avalanche.