Northern San Juan

You can trigger an avalanche in areas of drifted snow on steep slopes. Areas of drifted snow often look smooth and rounded. Expect to find the deepest drifts below ridgelines and in cross-loaded terrain at upper elevations. The deeper the drift, the larger the avalanche. On west-to-northwest through east-facing slopes, avalanches in the new snow could step down, triggering a slide that would break deep and wide. Avoid steep slopes where you observe 8 inches or more of drifted snow. Cracking in the snow surface, collapsing, or avalanches on similar slopes are obvious signs of instability and a good indication of areas to avoid.

You can find safer travel on slopes less than 30 degrees and areas protected from the wind.