Front Range

You could trigger an avalanche on north through east to south-facing slopes at upper elevations in the Front Range. Westerly winds created a stiff, cohesive slab on easterly-facing slopes directly below ridgelines, on the sides of gullies, and convex rollovers. On southerly-facing slopes, the new snow will drift onto a buried melt-freeze crust, making triggering an avalanche easier. While less likely, you could trigger an avalanche on a shallower slope that could step down into a buried weak layer near the ground, creating a wide and far-running avalanche. If you see snow that looks like a smooth, rounded pillow that feels or sounds hollow underneath you, it is time to move to wind-sheltered slopes for safer options.