Grand Mesa

Strong winds and new snow are combining to make for dangerous avalanche conditions. The most dangerous slopes face a northerly or easterly direction but changing wind directions could cross-load other aspects. Avoid slopes steeper than about 35 degrees where you find more than about a foot of freshly deposited snow. Cracking in the new snow is a sign to move to lower-angle slopes or wind-sheltered terrain.

Use caution in areas sheltered from the wind as new snow stacks up. Recently buried weak layers may be found underneath the storm snow on northerly-facing slopes. The only way to know is to dig down into the snow and evaluate the snow layering before committing to any steep slope.