Vail & Summit County

You will most likely trigger an avalanche on steep slopes recently drifted by the wind. These avalanches could break near the surface or step down to deeper, weaker layers 2 to 3 feet deep. In areas with a shallower snowpack or slopes that avalanched earlier in the year, these could step down to the ground. Rocky, steep, shady, shallow slopes will be the most dangerous. Multiple people could ride a slope before someone triggers a slide from the edge of a slab or a weaker slope area. You can find safer travel on low-angled slopes and those facing a southerly direction with a stout crust.