Vail & Summit County

A Special Avalanche Advisory is in effect from Friday evening through Sunday for portions of the Front Range, Summit County, and the Vail area, including the Gore Range. A winter storm will dramatically change conditions, making it easy for backcountry travelers to trigger dangerous avalanches this weekend.

The most dangerous slopes are those that get drifted by the westerly winds. This means you'll find the thickest slabs on northeast through southeast-facing slopes. With several weak layers buried in the snowpack, any avalanche you trigger can step down to deeper layers or entrain the entire season's snowpack. If you avoid big, open, drifted slopes near ridgetop, you can greatly reduce your risk of avalanches.