Front Range

You are most likely to trigger a slide on easterly-facing slopes and cross-loaded gullies. These areas combine weak layers with maximum drifting of new snow. Look for and avoid rounded pillows of wind-drifted snow where you see cracking in the surface. On aspects with a firm slab over a buried weak layer, you could trigger an avalanche from a distance or below. Give slopes with this structure a wide margin. If you trigger an avalanche in the surface snow on these aspects, it could step down to the ground.

You can find safer travel on low-angle slopes or slopes with less than eight inches of new or wind-drifted snow facing south.