Steamboat & Flat Tops

You can trigger a slide that breaks in recently drifted snow, but the bigger hazard is triggering an avalanche that breaks near the ground. Northerly and east-facing slopes are the most likely places to trigger a deeply breaking avalanche, but you should take care anywhere you find a dense, cohesive slab resting on weak snow near the ground. Stick to low-angle terrain where you do. You are unlikely to get any obvious signs of instability before you trigger one of these slides.

Wind speeds increase on Tuesday and will drift new snow onto easterly and south-facing slopes. Avoid steep slopes where you find more than about six inches of drifted snow forming a cohesive slab. Cracking in the new snow is a sign to avoid steep slopes. Slopes sheltered from the wind offer safer travel.

Colorado Gives Day is December 10. Please consider donating to the Friends of CAIC to help them reach their fundraising goal. Support from people like you helps make it possible for us to provide high-quality public safety information. Visit friendsofcaic.org for more information.