Southern San Juan

An Avalanche Watch is in effect for very dangerous avalanche conditions to develop on Tuesday. Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended on Tuesday.

You can easily trigger avalanches in the fresh storm snow, and avalanches in storm snow could step down into larger and deeper avalanches. Use caution anywhere you find more than about ten inches of freshly fallen or drifted storm snow. You are most likely to trigger larger, more dangerous avalanches on northerly and easterly-facing slopes where drifts are deeper. Avoid terrain with evidence of recent drifting such as new cornice growth, sculpted features, or smooth, lens-shape pillows of snow. You can trigger avalanches from below, and natural releases are possible, so give yourself a wide buffer when traveling below steep slopes. Slopes less than about thirty degrees or more wind-sheltered areas provide safer options.