Vail & Summit County

You can trigger very large avalanches if you find the wrong spot on a slope. There are suspect slopes on most aspects, but northwest through east to southeast slopes at upper elevations are the most dangerous. With a recently built slab about 3 feet thick, it can be hard to find a trigger point, but when you do, the avalanche will be deadly.

Multiple people can ride a slope before it slides. You're unlikely to see any warning signs like cracking or collapsing before you trigger an avalanche. The best way to manage this hazard is to avoid slopes steeper than about 30 degrees.

For visual impact, here's a montage of last week's large avalanches from around the state.

Above-freezing temperatures, sunny skies, and light winds mean the snow surface could become wet on sunny slopes. You can trigger a slide where you find wet, cohesionless snow on steep slopes. Avoid steep slopes if you're sinking up to your ankles in wet snow. Rollerballs and point-releases are indications the surface is becoming wet.