• Sloughs and spindrift avalanches occur at angles greater than 60 degrees throughout a snow fall, preventing these steeper slopes from accumulating snow.
• Slab avalanches are most common on slopes between 35 and 45 degrees, the steepness of expert runs at ski resorts.
• Very wet slides are possible at angles of less than 20 degrees.

It is critical to know what is above you as you travel. All the snow on a slope is connected. While avalanches don't usually initiate on slopes of less than 25 degrees you can still trigger them from below on a low angle slope and potentially be standing in a runout zone.

• Wind is the single most important modifier of the snow pack. There doesn't need to be a fresh snowfall to increase the avalanche hazard.
• Lee slopes collect more snow (sometimes a lot more) due to drifting and snow being carried from the windward to the leeward (downwind) side of ridges often creating wind slab.
• Windward slopes tend to be stripped of snow and therefore are safer to travel on.
• Radiation from the sun influences the snow stability. In winter it tends to be a stabilising influence, melting and refreezing - breaking down hazardous layers that form in cold conditions.
• In spring, intense solar radiation can have the opposite effect; acting as trigger of loose snow slides especially on sunny aspects in the afternoon.