Vail & Summit County

You can trigger an avalanche on slopes with drifted snow that face northeast to east through south at upper elevations. If you notice shooting cracks within the recently drifted snow or if the surface snow is dense and hollow-sounding, you should move wind-sheltered or low-angle slopes. Bulbous pillows of fresh snow or a textured snow surface are signs of drifted snow. 

Although it is unlikely, you could trigger an avalanche that breaks near the ground. In the past three weeks, the majority of slides that failed near the ground were on steep terrain features that face north and east. Be wary of slopes with a continuous, cohesive slab of snow resting on weak, snow near the ground. Remember, small slides can easily become a trigger for a larger avalanche.

You can reduce your chances of being involved with either type of avalanche by traveling on lower-elevation, southerly-facing slopes or on slopes less than about 30 degrees that are not connected to steeper slopes above.