Southern San Juan

A few inches of snow and northerly wind increase your chances of triggering avalanches in wind-drifted snow above treeline. The most dangerous places are where you find 8" or more of cohesive drifted snow forming a slab on steep alpine slopes. Look for and avoid fresh and firm lens-shaped drifts below ridgelines and in gullies. Cracking in the snow surface is a sign that the drifted snow has formed a slab, and a good indication to avoid steep slopes.

Safer travel can be found at lower elevations out of the wind.