Front Range

You can trigger an avalanche where you find more than a foot of drifted snow at upper elevations. Avoid steep slopes with pillow-like drifts of snow, especially below ridgelines and in cross-loaded gullies. Avalanches that you trigger in drifted snow can step down to deeper more dangerous avalanches, especially in thin-snowpack areas.

Wind drifts could be dense and textured, while others might be soft and smooth. Cracking in the surface snow is an indication to move to low-angle or wind-sheltered terrain. You may not see any obvious signs of instability to warn you of dangerous conditions. A good way to avoid avalanches in drifted snow is to steer clear of open slopes below ridgetop.