Northern San Juan

You can trigger a large and dangerous avalanche if you find a shallow spot and collapse a hard layer of snow that rests above weaker snow below. West to northwest through southeast-facing slopes are the most dangerous. Avoid traveling near common trigger points, such as convex rollovers, rocky outcrops, or the edges of slopes where the margins of a slab are thinnest. Avalanches can be triggered from a distance and from below.

Give yourself a wide buffer from suspect slopes steeper than around 35 degrees. Tracks on a slope do not indicate stable conditions. In addition, winds are blowing snow onto lee southeast to south through southwest slopes. You may trigger a small avalanche on drifted slopes.

On Tuesday, January 7, a backcountry skier was caught and killed in an avalanche on Red Mountain Number 3, near Red Mountain Pass. The avalanche was triggered on a wind-drifted northwest-facing slope near treeline. Our deepest condolences to the deceased skier's family, friends, and community. You can read the preliminary accident report here.