Steamboat & Flat Tops

You can trigger an avalanche where you find more than about 8 inches of new or wind-drifted snow on steep slopes. Be particularly careful in the near treeline elevation band and steep open meadows in the transition area from near to below treeline. Strong winds have drifted the most snow into these spots. Cracking and collapsing are signs of danger and signs to avoid steep terrain. If you trigger an avalanche in the new or recently wind-drifted snow, it could step down to deeper buried weak layers, resulting in a larger avalanche.