Sangre de Cristo

Strong winds drift recent snow into thick slabs in the alpine. Observers report 12 to 24 inches of snow from December 4th, plenty of snow to transport in the alpine. You can trigger an avalanche where winds drift snow into thick and firm slabs at upper elevations. . Cracking in the new snow is a good indicator that you have found a stiff slab and a signal to move to a different slope or lower-angle terrain.

Conditions are still shallow in most places, and the most dangerous slopes correspond with where you find the deepest and most continuous snow coverage in the alpine.