Grand Mesa

You can trigger an avalanche on southerly slopes where warm temperatures and direct sun are affecting the recent snow. The recent snow rests on buried crusts and will lose strength as temperatures increase. These avalanches are expected to be small but can be powerful if they entrain snow in areas that have drifted in during the last storm. Cold, drifted snow can still pose a threat on slopes steeper than about 35 degrees. When you start to see signs of instability like wet, gloppy snow and roller balls, it is time to move to colder aspects or slopes less than about 35 degrees that have no overhead hazards.

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