Vail & Summit County

Look for and avoid small areas of drifted snow near ridgetop. You can trigger small avalanches where you find hard drifts on the lee side of ridges and the sides of gullies. With changing wind directions from westerly to easterly, you'll have to watch for drifted snow in unusual spots. As the sun comes out in the afternoon, the cold new snow will heat up and sluff. These small loose avalanches will be harmless unless you are knocked off of your feet in very steep, extreme terrain.