Northern San Juan

You can trigger a large and dangerous avalanche in the new storm snow. New snow is falling on a variety of surfaces. The most dangerous slopes are where you find more than about 10 inches of new snow. Snowfall will continue to accumulate in pulses into the weekend. Pay attention to changing conditions as the timing and amount of snowfall varies across the region. Move to a lower angle slope if you observe signs of instability like recent avalanches or cracking in the new storm snow.

Avalanches in the new snow could step down to buried February weak layers, causing a larger slide that propagates widely. This is most likely on slopes that face northerly or easterly in areas with a shallow snowpack. Common trigger spots include exposed rocks and below ridges and cliffs.