Sawatch

Strong southwest winds on Thursday build dense drifts on north and east-facing slopes. On Friday you can trigger a slab avalanche in wind-drifted terrain. Most avalaches in the freshly drifted snow will be small, but consider the consequences of where one might drag you if you're caught. Although harder to trigger, in big terrain features with heavy drifting, you might trigger the entire slope from a shallow spot near rocks, steep rollovers, or the margins of the slab. To help reduce your risk, steer clear of wind-drifted slopes and stick to lower-angle terrain.