Front Range

You can trigger an avalanche on steep slopes where you find more than about 8 inches of new or wind-drifted snow. East-facing aspects where you find rounded pillows of stiff snow will be the most dangerous. Very strong winds will drift snow well down from ridgelines into unusual places, so be suspicious of any snow drifts, especially near treeline. Cracking and collapsing in the snow are signs of unstable snow. If you trigger an avalanche at the surface, it could step down to weak layers at the ground. You can find safer travel on wind-protected slopes with soft snow and no slab.