Steamboat & Flat Tops

Many slopes are harboring weak snow near the ground and in places where a cohesive slab of dense snow sits on top, you might trigger an avalanche. As the snowpack gets deeper, obvious signs of unstable snow like shooting cracks and collapsing sounds may not be present. You will need to evaluate the snowpack for reactive, collapsible weak layers, or simply avoid steep slopes. Northerly and easterly-facing slopes at all elevations are the most suspect. You are most likely to trigger an avalanche from areas with a shallower snowpack that are difficult to identify. Stick to slopes less than about 30 degrees that are not connected to steeper slopes above for safer travel options.