Sawatch

Strong southwest winds on Thursday will continue to build dense drifts on north and east-facing slopes. The danger will increase through the day, and it will become easier to trigger a large slab avalanche in the afternoon. 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 active 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.