Vail & Summit County

You can trigger avalanches on steep northerly and east-facing slopes near and above treeline. New, drifting snow may hide the old firm surfaces that are resting over weak snow near the ground. Avalanches can break deeply into the old snow and can wrap around terrain features becoming larger than you anticipate. Cracking and collapsing are signs of unstable snow and indicators you should move to lower-angle terrain or slopes that are sheltered from the wind. The chances of triggering an avalanche will increase as more snow accumulates during the storm into Sunday.