Steamboat & Flat Tops

You can trigger an avalanche on north through east to south-facing slopes at upper elevations. Heavy snow on Friday combined with strong winds will drift snow into cohesive slabs on leeward terrain features. Look for and avoid lens-shaped pillows of snow below ridgelines, in gully features, and downhill of convex rollovers. If you notice cracking and collapsing in the new snow or if the new snow feels dense and cohesive under your feet, then move to wind-sheltered slopes less than about 30 degrees without steep terrain overhead.

Avalanche conditions are dangerous and you can trigger a slide large enough to bury you on any slope. Heavy snow and wind on Friday and Saturday will make human-triggered avalanches likely. At upper elevations, westerly winds will drift snow into deep slabs in leeward terrain features. At lower elevations, an avalanche triggered within the storm snow can easily bury you. Especially if a slide pushes you into a gully feature or tree well. If you notice cracking and collapsing in the new snow or if the new snow feels dense and cohesive under your feet, then move to wind-sheltered slopes less than about 30 degrees without steep terrain overhead.