Northern San Juan

A fatal avalanche near Ophir on Monday tragically illustrates the kind of dangerous avalanche you can still trigger. The most suspect slopes are steeper than about 35 degrees.

Cohesive slabs of snow resting on top of a very weak snowpack increases the chance to trigger a large avalanche. Avalanches triggered from a shallow part of the slope can expand into deeper areas and grow larger in size, and could step to the ground once moving downhill taking the entire snowpack with it. Be very aware of the terrain around you, and give yourself an extra buffer if traveling below steeper slopes or large avalanche paths. Don’t get lulled into a false sense of safety if you see fewer signs of unstable snow like shooting cracks or audible collapses.