Avalanche forecast

Northern San Juan

Colorado Avalanche Information Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2

Avalanche Summary

A Special Avalanche Advisory is in effect from Friday evening through Sunday for the San Juan Mountains. A winter storm will dramatically change conditions, making it easy for backcountry travelers to trigger dangerous avalanches this weekend.

Northerly and Westerly winds on Saturday night and Sunday will stiffen the new snow, increasing the chance for avalanches. You can trigger avalanches where you find more than around 8 inches of drifted snow that has formed into a cohesive slab on slopes steeper than about 35 degrees. Watch for cracking in the snow as an indication that a slab has developed. If you experience this sign of unstable snow, avoid steep slopes.

Once the recent snow forms a slab over what was a very weak snowpack, avalanches could be triggered from a distance or from below. There is a chance it will be easier to trigger avalanches on Sunday than it was on Saturday.

Regions covered