Front Range

You can trigger a slide where strong winds drift new snow on top of a fragile base. Easterly-facing slopes and cross-loaded gullies will be the most dangerous as these areas combine weak layers with maximum drifting of new snow. On aspects with a buried weak layer, you could trigger an avalanche from a distance or below, so use extra caution as the snowpack adjusts to the new load. If you trigger an avalanche in the surface snow on these aspects, it is likely to step down to the ground. On southern aspects, look for and avoid rounded pillows of wind-drifted snow where you see cracking in the snow. 

You can find safer travel on low-angle slopes or slopes with less than eight inches of new or wind-drifted snow facing south.