Vail & Summit County

Buried weak layers two to three feet deep are lurking under cohesive snow on many slopes. Easterly-facing slopes at upper elevations are the most dangerous. You may not get feedback from the snowpack like cracking and collapsing before you trigger an avalanche. You can trigger a large avalanche even after skiing a slope multiple times. You might trigger a small slide that only breaks in the upper snowpack, but if it steps down it could grow very large like this one near Cameron Pass. The best way to avoid this problem is to stick to slopes around 30 degrees without steep slopes above.

Warm and sunny weather this weekend will heat the snow on the surface. In the afternoon, you might see wet snow sluff off steep, sunny slopes. Remember, even small slides can knock you over and take you for a ride. Seek shaded, high-elevation slopes to avoid wet snow.