Southern San Juan

Strong winds have drifted new snow onto slopes at upper elevations. You could trigger a more dangerous avalanche where slabs form above a firm, slippery sliding surface, or on slopes with more than about 8 inches of new snow. New snow drifts will be deepest on cross-loaded slopes that face northerly and easterly. Shallow slides may break deeper on steep, rocky slopes with thinner snow coverage or where drifted snow adds stress to slopes with a stubborn weak layer one to two feet deep.

Adjust your travels if you see cracking in freshly drifted snow or if the snow surface goes from soft to stiff. Small, isolated avalanches can lead to an unfortunate outcome in steep, consequential terrain.