Vail & Summit County

Use caution on slopes that face west through north to south where recent snow drifts on top of older, weak snow. These avalanches can break wide and run far without any warning signs. You may trigger an avalanche only within the new snow, but chances are that it will step down, entraining the entire season's snowpack. You are more likely to impact the deeper weak snow layers near the margins of slopes or around rocky outcrops where the snowpack is thinner. Several people could ride the slope before someone finds this shallower portion of the snowpack, triggering a deadly avalanche. Stick to slopes less than about 30 degrees that are not connected to larger, steeper terrain above you for safer options.