Grand Mesa

Warm, dry weather continues to consolidate the snowpack, and the ongoing daily melt-freeze cycle makes avalanche conditions generally safe early in the day. Still, weaker overnight freezes in the coming days could shrink the window for safer travel to just a few hours in the morning.

Start and end your day early. Pay attention to warming snow and steer clear of steep slopes if you begin to sink past your ankles into wet snow. The most likely place to trigger a small avalanche is where you find still-transitioning dry snow on north-facing slopes at the highest elevations. Even a small avalanche can be dangerous if it sweeps you off your feet.