Front Range

You can trigger avalanches where you find more than about 6 inches of new, drifted snow. Any slide you trigger in the storm snow can easily step down to buried weak layers and grow larger. Cracking in the storm snow and audible collapses are signs of unstable snow and indications to avoid steep slopes.

Look for and avoid steep, drifted slopes that face northwest through east to south. East and southeast-facing slopes were the bullseye for avalanche activity the past three weeks. The recent snow will make it harder to spot old, suspect drifts. Use your probe or pole to see if you're traveling on an old, hard slab below the most recent snow. Look for sheltered, lower-elevation slopes as safer options.