Northern San Juan

You can trigger an avalanche where recent snow and strong winds formed cohesive slabs over newly buried weak layers. Avalanches will be larger where winds drifted snow into deep, widely connected slabs on leeward and cross-loaded slopes at upper elevations. The most dangerous slopes face the north half of the compass, where you could trigger an avalanche in the upper snowpack that steps down into deeper buried weak layers. Avoid trigger points, like convexities and shallow spots, commonly found on the edges of slopes and near rock outcrops. You can find safer travel on slopes less than 35 degrees in steepness and areas protected from the wind.