Northern San Juan

A potent winter storm is entering Colorado on a southwest flow. Snow starts Friday morning, with ten to sixteen inches forecast by Saturday. Avalanche danger, sensitivity, and the size of the avalanche you can trigger will increase throughout the storm. Near and above treeline, northerly-facing slopes that harbor old snow are the most dangerous places for you to trigger avalanches. Cracking and collapsing are obvious signs of instability and likely indicate you are on a slope where old/weak snow sits above the ground. If you trigger an avalanche, it might not be able to bury you but would lead to a dangerous ride through shallowly buried obstacles.

Sticking to slopes that didn't have snow before this storm or slopes less than about 32 degrees is a good way to keep yourself safe from avalanches.