Front Range

Recent snow and westerly and northerly winds mean you can trigger an avalanche where you find slabs of drifted snow on steep leeward slopes. Look for and avoid slopes with more than about 6 inches of snow drifted into pillows below ridges and inside gullies. Any avalanche has the potential to gouge down to deeper layers and grow larger. North, northeast, and east-facing slopes are the most dangerous, but you can find drifted snow on the east half of the compass.

Don't let sunshine and new snow lure you onto avalanche-prone slopes this weekend. The number of places you can trigger an avalanche is growing. Three slides on steep, exposed slopes at lower elevations in the past week are a good example. Don't plan your route like it's last weekend, even though the danger is similar, conditions are different.