Steamboat & Flat Tops

Avalanches may break on a layer of weak snow buried one to two feet deep. Shooting cracks or audible collapses are clear signs of this weak layer and suggest avoiding steep slopes. Steer around areas of wind-drifted snow below ridges and convex rollovers. The most likely place to find problematic drifts is on northerly and easterly slopes.

Above-freezing temperatures mean you might trigger small avalanches in wet, cohesionless snow. Avoid steep slopes where you see rollerballs or if you're sinking up to your ankles in wet snow. Small avalanches can be deadly if they push you into a terrain trap.