Grand Mesa

A weak, collapsible layer is buried two to three feet down from the snow surface. You can trigger large and wide avalanches that break on this layer. Avoid steep northerly and easterly slopes.

Avalanche conditions have changed drastically from the recent period of lower danger. Use caution and wait for the buried weak layer to adjust to the new load of snow before traveling on steep slopes where this problem exists. You may not see signs of unstable snow before triggering a large, dangerous avalanche.