Sawatch

You can easily trigger avalanches in the new snow. Be careful on slopes where you find eight or more inches of new or wind-drifted snow. Easterly winds will drift snow into unusual places so look for and avoid rounded pillows of smooth snow below ridgelines, cornices and along gully walls. If you experience cracking or collapsing in the new snow consider heading to lower angled slopes or those sheltered from the wind. If you trigger an avalanche in the surface snow there is a chance it could step down to weak layers buried at the ground . You can find safer travel on slopes sheltered from the wind that are less than abut 30 degrees steep.