Steamboat & Flat Tops

Avoid stiff wind-drifted slabs on steep slopes. You're most likely to find drifted snow and trigger an avalanche on open slopes directly below ridgelines that face an easterly direction. You should also avoid traveling close to, or underneath, large cornices as we have had a few reports of large cornices failing.

Use caution on east through south-facing slopes as the sun heats the new snow. If you start to see rollerballs or if all of the new snow seems like it wants to sheet off of underlying crusts, find slopes not receiving direct sun for cooler snow.