Vail & Summit County

Avalanche conditions are most dangerous on recently wind-loaded northerly and east-facing slopes. On Wednesday, another round of wind loading led to a large natural avalanche in the Tenmile Range. You can still trigger these same-sized avalanches, especially where the slab is hard yet thinner, making it easier to affect weak layers buried in the snowpack.

Stick to southerly slopes with supportable melt-freeze crusts or low elevation slopes with a soft snowpack that you can poke a ski pole through to the ground.