Vail & Summit County

Avoid slopes with pillows of rounded wind-drifted snow. Terrain where you find more than about 8 inches of drifted snow are where you could trigger a dangerous avalanche. Cracking and collapsing are signs of unstable snow. An avalanche triggered at the surface could step down to deeper weak layers on northwest through north to east aspects. On these aspects, you could see multiple sets of tracks before you trigger a large slide. Avoid steep slopes where these problems overlap.

As the day warms and skies clear, snow will shed from southerly aspects. If you see roller balls or small point release avalanches, head to slopes with cooler snow.

You can find safer travel on slopes not affected by the wind and on lower-angled slopes.