Vail & Summit County

You can trigger avalanches in areas of wind-drifted snow on steep slopes near and above treeline. These drifts are most common near ridges, in gullies, or behind large rocks. Give suspect slopes a wide berth; some recent avalanches were triggered from below or from a distance. Avoid thin patches of snow near rocks or over convexities. If a slide starts, it could gouge down to the ground. Most of the recent avalanche activity was on slopes facing east, southeast, and south.

Above-freezing temperatures mean you might trigger small avalanches in wet, cohesionless snow. Avoid steep slopes where you see rollerballs or if you're sinking up to your ankles in wet snow. Small avalanches can be deadly if they push you into a terrain trap.