Aspen

Assess steep slopes in the alpine where you find more than about eight inches of new or wind-drifted snow. You are most likely to find these deeper deposits below ridgelines and along gullies. Carefully check how well new snow is bonded to crusts below before committing to steeper slopes. Even shallow slides can take you for a nasty ride down a couloir or over a cliff. Watch for and avoid rounded pillows, etched surfaces, or brittle snow that cracks around you.

Cornices continue to grow. Give ridgelines a wide berth. Triggered cornices could produce larger avalanches on the slopes below.