Southern San Juan

You can trigger an avalanche in wind-drifted snow on upper elevation slopes facing west through northeast to east. Avoid slopes with smooth, drifted features or where you encounter stiff surface textures. Retreat to less-steep slopes and more wind-sheltered terrain if you experience cracking in the surface snow.

Triggering an avalanche that breaks into deeper weak layers becomes more difficult with each passing day, but if you do, the consequences remain serious. Avoid thin areas where the snowpack is less than about five feet deep. Slopes less than about thirty degrees offer safer options.