Front Range

You can trigger a deadly avalanche that runs on deeply buried weak layers. This large avalanche in Zero Creek, near Berthoud Pass, highlights the destructive potential still lurking in the snowpack. Easterly-facing terrain where winds will drift new slabs of snow are the most dangerous. Be careful anywhere you find more than about eight inches of new or wind-drifted snow. You can easily trigger avalanches in the new snow, but a more dangerous issue occurs when this avalanche steps down to weak layers. Multiple people could travel a slope, and you are unlikely to get any warning signs before you trigger a deeper avalanche. You can find safer travel on slopes less than about 30 degrees.