Vail & Summit County

Use caution on slopes that face west through north to south where recent snow drifts on top of older, weak snow at upper elevations. You may trigger an avalanche only within the new snow, but chances are that it will step down, entraining the entire season's snowpack. Look for and avoid slopes that have fresh cornices and smooth lens-shaped pillows of snow on them. You are more likely to impact the deeper weak snow layers near the margins of slopes or around rocky outcrops where the snowpack is thinner. Several people could ride the slope before someone finds this shallower portion of the snowpack, triggering a deadly avalanche. Carefully choose terrain as you recreate in the mountains by avoiding travel on or underneath slopes greater than 30 degrees