Gunnison

Strong winds and heavy snowfall will create dangerous avalanche conditions on Wednesday through Wednesday night. The most dangerous slopes are those receiving the most wind-drifted snow: northwest to east through south-east-facing slopes at higher elevations. Avalanches will be stiffer, easier to trigger, and more destructive in these locations. Some may release naturally.

Other slopes will see enough new and drifting snow for smaller, but still potentially dangerous avalanches. Look for stiff slabs of drifted snow lower in the terrain than you may be used to seeing. You can reduce your chances of being caught in an avalanche by avoiding the lee sides of ridgelines and steep slopes with a smooth, rounded, often wave-like surface appearance indicating the presence of wind-drifted snow.