Sangre de Cristo

Wind-loaded slopes and terrain features at upper elevations harbor cohesive slabs over weak layers in the upper snowpack. Recent strong winds built varying thickness slabs, and you are more likely to trigger an avalanche where the overlying slab is thinner – near exposed rocks and trees, on steep rollovers, or beneath ridges and cliffs. Shallow avalanches may break deeper where older, weak layers are less than about 2 feet deep. Avalanches triggered on slopes with less than about 3 feet of snow could take the entire season’s snowpack with it, and those slides will be larger. You can find safer travel options below treeline, or on lower angle, wind-sheltered slopes.