Grand Mesa

Three to six inches of snow with consistent, strong westerly wind created dangerous avalanche conditions near and above treeline. You can easily trigger an avalanche on most steep, wind-loaded slopes and some of these avalanches might occur naturally as the wind transports additional snow onto the lee sides of ridgelines. Identify and avoid wind-loaded slopes to reduce your chances of triggering an avalanche. You can identify wind-loaded slopes by their smooth, rounded, often-wave-like appearance and the hard, hollow feeling you will experience when traveling across them.

You can also trigger a smaller loose avalanche on slopes generally steeper than around 40 degrees on wind-sheltered slopes below treeline. You can find safer travel options by sticking to wind-sheltered terrain below the treeline and avoiding slopes with terrain traps such as a cliff or a gully below you where even a small loose avalanche could seriously injure or bury you.