Front Range

You can easily trigger an avalanche where you find drifted pillows of snow just below ridges, inside gullies, or behind convex rollovers. Cracking in the new snow is a sign to move to low-angle or wind-sheltered slopes. Easterly-facing slopes at upper elevations are the most likely place you can trigger an avalanche, but take care anywhere you find more than about a foot of recently drifted snow.

You can also trigger an avalanche in wet snow at lower elevations. Especially where the old snow surface does not freeze overnight. Rollerballs and pinwheels in the surface snow are a sign it's getting wet. If you find yourself sinking deeper than your boot tops in wet, unsupportable snow, it's time to call it a day.