Sangre de Cristo

Fresh, dense slabs of snow increase your chance to trigger an avalanche. It will be easier to trigger a large, dangerous avalanche on slopes steeper than about 30 degrees, and on slopes with a foot or more of new snow. Triggering an avalanche from a wind-loaded area below ridges or in cross-loaded gullies could break above you or wider than you expect, and travel quickly down the slope with a firm crust below. Avoid places with a smooth, pillow-like appearance, and retreat to lower-angled slopes if you see cracking in the snow.

Triggering a deeper breaking avalanche has become less likely, but is still a lingering potential in shallow areas on steeper slopes at upper elevations. These low-probability avalanches can be consequential in more complex or extreme terrain – even if confined to an isolated part of the slope.