Grand Mesa

Fresh snow and westerly wind increase the chances of triggering an avalanche above treeline. Assess any slopes you plan to ride for new snow depth, bonding to the old snow surface, and slab stiffness. To avoid triggering an avalanche, stick to slopes less than 35 degrees in steepness.

With heavy snow possible in parts of the Elk Mountains and northern Sawatch, you may be able to trigger a large avalanche on slopes where you find around 18 inches or more of new or drifted snow.