Northern San Juan

The wet snow avalanche hazard increases during the day and last into the late-afternoon as the snow surface gets wet and unconsolidated from ample sunshine and warm temperatures. It will be easier to initiate a wet snow slide on slopes around 35 degrees, and at lower elevations where a weak overnight freeze is more likely. Long-running slides could gouge deeper and deposit a dangerous pile of snow at the bottom of a slope, or in gullies and creek bottoms. Avoid traveling on or below steep slopes if you see rollerballs, pinwheels, or sink past your shins into wet, rotten snow. If you plan to venture into the backcountry, start early and end early.