Vail & Summit County

The most dangerous slopes are where strong winds have drifted snow over weak layers. Avoid bulbous pillows of snow. Multiple avalanches over the weekend stepped down to deeper weak layers. You are unlikely to see obvious signs of instability, such as cracking and collapsing, before a large avalanche triggers. You can trigger an avalanche from flat ground.

Lower-elevation slopes with softer snow and less slab will be safer.