Steamboat & Flat Tops

You can trigger an avalanche where you find more than about a foot of new or wind-drifted snow. You are most likely to find problematic slopes directly below ridgelines, in gullies, and behind convex rollovers. Avalanches can break just below the most recent snow, or on weak layers another 1 or 2 feet below the old surface. Look for and avoid bulbous pillows of drifted snow. If you notice cracking in the new snow, head to lower-angled slopes or wind-sheltered terrain.

Sunny skies and above-freezing temperatures tomorrow will likely cause the snow to become wet and sluff off steep, sunny slopes. These avalanches could gouge deeper into the snowpack and grow larger as they run. If you sink up to your ankles in wet, gloppy surface snow or see rollerballs, you should steer clear of steep slopes.