Northern San Juan

You can trigger a dangerous avalanche anywhere you find more than about ten inches of drifted or freshly-fallen storm snow. The danger may extend into the below treeline elevation band in areas that receive the most snowfall. If you trigger an avalanche in the surface snow, it can step down to deeper buried weak layers resulting in a large dangerous avalanche. Avoid slopes if you find recent cornices, sculpted features, or smooth lens-shaped pillows of snow. These are indications of wind drifting. You can trigger an avalanche from the bottom of slopes, and some may release naturally, so give steep slopes a wide buffer. Stick to slopes with a slope angle less than about 30 degrees, or seek out wind-sheltered areas for safer options.