Vail & Summit County

A few inches of snow Wednesday night through Thursday won't increase the danger, but you can still trigger an avalanche large enough to bury you. Look for and avoid steep, previously loaded slopes below ridges and cliff bands at upper elevations. Northeast through east to south-facing slopes are the most dangerous.

A soft, weak layer of snow is buried 1 to 2 feet deep below dense slabs. You can trigger slides on this layer from below or from a distance. With a generally weak snowpack, any avalanche you trigger could gouge down to deeper weak layers. You can find safer travel on lower-angle slopes or those sheltered from the wind at lower elevations.

Be careful on very steep slopes below treeline, where you may find deep, unconsolidated snow above terrain traps.