Aspen ===== Current Keywords: MODERATE, avalanche danger, cross loaded, drifts, human triggered avalanches, orographic, probe, shovel, slab, slabs, weak layer, weak layers, wind drifts, wind loaded, wind slabs, Mountain Weather and Avalanche Forecast for the Aspen Zone Forecast Issued on 2/16/2008 3:41:09 PM Forecaster: Ann Mellick Weather Synopsis The day started mostly clear, but clouds moved into the northern mountains by noon. Northwest flow will dominate the region the remainder of the weekend. A couple weak disturbances will ripple through the flow, bringing a chance of snow to the high country. The first disturbance will continue to work its way into the northern mountains this afternoon and spread southward by this evening. Another wave will sweep in by Sunday morning. Favorable orographic flow and cold air advection will generate snow in the northern and central mountains, particularly the Flat Tops, Park and Gore Ranges. Southern Colorado will enjoy mostly dry and mild conditions. Wind speeds will increase statewide Saturday night into Sunday as the jet stream moves overhead. Moisture looks to stick around the high country through Sunday evening before a strong high pressure ridge builds into the region Monday. This ridge breaks down by Wednesday, when we shift into a moist and active weather pattern. Weather Saturday Night Sunday Sunday Night Temperature(°F) 10-15 18-23 5-10 Wind Speed(mph) 15-25 15-25 G/40s 10-20 Wind Direction NW WNW NW Sky Cover Mostly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Snow(in) 0-3 0-3 0 Snowpack Discussion Recent warm temperatures and calm winds have allowed the snowpack to adjust to the load of new snow we received earlier in the week, but this process does take time. Although it has felt spring-like, we are deep into the winter season and have a complex snowpack with variable stratigraphy including stacks of both soft and hard slabs amongst a variety of weak layers. Northwest winds will pick up again Saturday night into Sunday adding yet another layer of slab onto east, southeast and south aspects near and above treeline. The new snow from Thursday disguises older wind slabs from strong south and southwest winds that blew earlier this week. These upper snowpack slabs and weak layers will be your biggest concern for avalanche activity today. Recent winds have created a variable snowpack with areas of wind loaded and cross loaded snow on a variety of aspects. Use your shovel and probe to get a feel for the depth and distribution of these layers and be sure to check the bond between these layers before committing to avalanche terrain. The avalanche danger differs around the zone due to variable snow totals over the course of the last storm as well as over the season. Look for some thicker wind slabs and more avalanche activity in areas where the snow totals were higher in the last storm. Areas with lower snow totals will see only shallow new wind slabs and less avalanche activity. Most avalanches will be occurring in the upper snowpack layers where these fresh wind drifts added a rapid load to the snowpack on Wednesday. Don't let the above average snow year and stronger snow in the middle of the snowpack fool you. Areas of the Aspen zone where snow depths are shallower still have a more typical Colorado snowpack with its strong over weak layering and concern for deep instabilities, namely on Independence Pass and in the Upper Castle Creek valley. Avalanche Danger Avalanche danger for the Aspen zone today is rated at MODERATE on all aspects and elevations. Human triggered avalanches remain possible. A high degree of variability in storm snow amounts, wind effects, and old snowpack characteristics mean that you will need to carefully assess the conditions as you move from one valley to the next around the Aspen zone. Winds drifts under our most recent snow on most aspects near and above treeline will be the biggest concern today. Don't forget about some of those deeper weak layers if you are traveling in areas of the zone with a shallower snowpack. The CAIC Aspen office needs your avalanche, snowpack, or weather observations. Drop us and e-mail at [57]caic@qwest.net with any observations you have from today. Front Range =========== Current Keywords: CONSIDERABLE, MODERATE, avalanche danger, crowns, faceted, facets, human triggered avalanches, orographic, settle, slab, slabs, weak layers, wind loaded, windloaded, windslabs, Mountain Weather and Avalanche Forecast for the Front Range Zone Forecast Issued on 2/16/2008 2:46:40 PM Forecaster: Ann Mellick Weather Synopsis The day started mostly clear, but clouds moved into the northern mountains by noon. Northwest flow will dominate the region the remainder of the weekend. A couple weak disturbances will ripple through the flow, bringing a chance of snow to the high country. The first disturbance will continue to work its way into the northern mountains this afternoon and spread southward by this evening. Another wave will sweep in by Sunday morning. Favorable orographic flow and cold air advection will generate snow in the northern and central mountains, particularly the Flat Tops, Park and Gore Ranges. Southern Colorado will enjoy mostly dry and mild conditions. Wind speeds will increase statewide Saturday night into Sunday as the jet stream moves overhead. Moisture looks to stick around the high country through Sunday evening before a strong high pressure ridge builds into the region Monday. This ridge breaks down by Wednesday, when we shift into a moist and active weather pattern. Weather Saturday Night Sunday Sunday Night Temperature(°F) 8-13 13-18 2-7 Wind Speed(mph) 15-25 G/40 15-25 G/50 15-25 G/40 Wind Direction NW NW WNW Sky Cover Mostly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Decreasing Snow(in) 0-3 1-4 0 Snowpack Discussion Forecasters were able to perform mitigation work in the Cameron Pass area on Friday. They got good results, triggering 11 slides, many of which hit the closed CO14. Hard slabs with crowns ranging from 1-5 feet, ran as far as 1,000 feet before depositing debris up to 14 feet deep on the roadway. Slides were triggered in large wind pillows; some slid on older windslabs below, while others failed on weak faceted snow near the ground. Stability tests in the Loveland Pass area on Saturday yielded similar findings: slabs breaking within older windslabs near the surface or near the ground on buried facets, so be on the lookout for both surface and deep instabilities while traveling in the backcountry today. Warmer temperatures have helped settle the snowpack. Avalanches have become less frequent though weak interfaces persist, keeping human triggered slides possible in most locations. Although it has felt spring-like, we are deep into the winter season and have a complex snowpack with variable stratigraphy including stacks of both soft and hard slabs amongst a variety of weak layers. Northwest winds picked up again on Saturday afternoon, loading available snow onto east, southeast and south aspects near and above treeline. Use caution in wind loaded areas where fresh slabs will become increasingly reactive to the weight of a backcountry traveler. You would have to hit just the right (or wrong) spot to trigger a deep slide, but resulting avalanches could be quite large. The most likely place to trigger a deep slab is on convexities, near rock bands, vegetation or low on the slope where slabs are thinner and weak layers are closer to the surface. Once initiated, fractures often propagate into much deeper snow. Continue to practice smart travel protocols and sound decision making. Avalanche Danger The avalanche danger for the Front Range Zone includes pockets of CONSIDERABLE on wind loaded slopes facing east, southeast and south in near and above treeline areas. The danger is MODERATE on all other aspects and elevations. Human triggered avalanches are possible to probable on steep, windloaded slopes, and have the potential to break deeply. Stability hass improved, but we are not out of the woods yet. Grand Mesa ========== Current Keywords: LOW, avalanche danger, lee , orographic, sluffing, stabilization, whumpfing, wind loaded, Mountain Weather and Avalanche Forecast for the Grand Mesa Zone Forecast Issued on 2/16/2008 3:17:44 PM Forecaster: Ann Mellick Weather Synopsis The day started mostly clear, but clouds moved into the northern mountains by noon. Northwest flow will dominate the region the remainder of the weekend. A couple weak disturbances will ripple through the flow, bringing a chance of snow to the high country. The first disturbance will continue to work its way into the northern mountains this afternoon and spread southward by this evening. Another wave will sweep in by Sunday morning. Favorable orographic flow and cold air advection will generate snow in the northern and central mountains, particularly the Flat Tops, Park and Gore Ranges. Southern Colorado will enjoy mostly dry and mild conditions. Wind speeds will increase statewide Saturday night into Sunday as the jet stream moves overhead. Moisture looks to stick around the high country through Sunday evening before a strong high pressure ridge builds into the region Monday. This ridge breaks down by Wednesday, when we shift into a moist and active weather pattern. Weather Saturday Night Sunday Sunday Night Temperature(°F) 12-17 22-27 10-15 Wind Speed(mph) 10-20 15-25 5-15 Wind Direction NNW N NNW Sky Cover Mostly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Mostly Clear Snow(in) 0-2 0-1 0 Snowpack Discussion Warm temperatures and light winds have encouraged rapid stabilization in the new snow. There have been no new avalanches reported from the Grand Mesa area in the last two weeks, indicating that storm snow fell on a mostly stable snowpack. Cloud cover and cooler air on Sunday will help to lock up any temperature induced instabilities that may have been seen on Firday and Saturday. New snow accumulations from the incoming storm will be modest and will not add a significant load, though strong winds will move available snow onto lee south and easterly aspects. The greatest danger in the Grand Mesa Zone continues to be the many small, steep wind loaded slopes and terrain traps. Be sure to evaluate steep slopes before you cross. Watch for signs of instability such as whumpfing noises, propagating cracks, or recent slide activity and avoid slopes where such signs are noted. Avalanche Danger The avalanche danger for the Grand Mesa is LOW on all aspects and elevations. Watch for sluffing in the new snow and areas of unstable snow on very steep slopes and terrain traps. Watch for sluffing in the new snow and areas of unstable snow on very steep slopes and terrain traps. Please send observations from this or any other zone to [57]caic@qwest.net San Juan North ============== Current Keywords: CONSIDERABLE, MODERATE, avalanche danger, bed surfaces, crust, crusts, facet, human triggered, natural avalanche, orographic, paths, precipitation , settle, slabs, sluffs, weak layers, Mountain Weather and Avalanche Forecast for the Northern San Juan Mountain Zone Forecast Issued on 2/16/2008 3:22:49 PM Forecaster: Ann Mellick Weather Synopsis The day started mostly clear, but clouds moved into the northern mountains by noon. Northwest flow will dominate the region the remainder of the weekend. A couple weak disturbances will ripple through the flow, bringing a chance of snow to the high country. The first disturbance will continue to work its way into the northern mountains this afternoon and spread southward by this evening. Another wave will sweep in by Sunday morning. Favorable orographic flow and cold air advection will generate snow in the northern and central mountains, particularly the Flat Tops, Park and Gore Ranges. Southern Colorado will enjoy mostly dry and mild conditions. Wind speeds will increase statewide Saturday night into Sunday as the jet stream moves overhead. Moisture looks to stick around the high country through Sunday evening before a strong high pressure ridge builds into the region Monday. This ridge breaks down by Wednesday, when we shift into a moist and active weather pattern. Weather Saturday Night Sunday Sunday Night Temperature(°F) 10-15 15-20 8-13 Wind Speed(mph) 15-25 G/40s 15-25 G/40s 15-25 Wind Direction NNW NNW NNW Sky Cover Partly Cloudy Mostly Clear Clear Snow(in) 0-1 0 0 Snowpack Discussion The warm and calm weather of the past day and a half have given way to another round of wind. Moderate to strong north and northwest winds began blowing near midday on Saturday redistributing ample available snow onto east, southeast and south aspects near and above treeline. Expect to find tender slabs on these slopes as they reload once again. Thankfully, we have had periods of mild weather between recent storms for the snowpack to settle and gain strength. However, weak layers also formed during these dry periods. Southerly slopes were sun-affected at all elevations, resulting in slick crusts that act as smooth bed surfaces for new slabs to slip on. We will likely see some repeat activity on paths that have already avalanched in the backcountry this season, particularly south and east aspects that have the most problematic crust/facet combination and that will continue to be loaded by strong northwest winds. The upper snowpack continues to be the area of primary concern so dig around and check the bond between the new/old snow interface before venturing onto steeper slopes. The Red Mt. Pass area got the brunt of the past storm, with sustained precipitation intensity up to 2"/hour and high corridor winds. CAIC/CDOT crews on highway 550 got good results with mitigation efforts on both Thursday and Friday -- triggered slides were released from most aspects both above and below treeline. Several of the reported avalanches were repeat performers, likely running on the same bed surfaces as their predecessors earlier this season. Telluride snow safety teams also reported consistent triggered releases in the new snow layer on Friday. Very little natural avalanche activity was reported from the backcountry, mostly loose sluffs from steep rocky terrain. Cloud cover and cooler air on Sunday will help to lock up any temperature induced instabilities that may have been present Friday and Saturday. Continue to practice wise route finding and decision making. We still have a complex snowpack where human triggered slides remain probable. The tension in the snowpack will ease, but this takes time - and patience on our part! Avoid steep slopes and stick to terrain with lesser consequences for today. Avalanche Danger The avalanche danger in the Northern San Juan is CONSIDERABLE on all aspects above treeeline and on east, southeast, south and southwest aspects below treeline. The danger is MODERATE on west, northwest, north and northeast aspects below treeline. Natural avalanches are possible and human-triggered avalanches remain probable on slopes 35 degrees and steeper. [57]Please let us know if you see any avalanche activity or signs of instability. San Juan South ============== Current Keywords: CONSIDERABLE, MODERATE, avalanche danger, collapsing , cornice, orographic, settle, slabs, windslabs, Mountain Weather and Avalanche Forecast for the Southern San Juan Mountain Zone Forecast Issued on 2/16/2008 3:30:55 PM Forecaster: Ann Mellick Weather Synopsis The day started mostly clear, but clouds moved into the northern mountains by noon. Northwest flow will dominate the region the remainder of the weekend. A couple weak disturbances will ripple through the flow, bringing a chance of snow to the high country. The first disturbance will continue to work its way into the northern mountains this afternoon and spread southward by this evening. Another wave will sweep in by Sunday morning. Favorable orographic flow and cold air advection will generate snow in the northern and central mountains, particularly the Flat Tops, Park and Gore Ranges. Southern Colorado will enjoy mostly dry and mild conditions. Wind speeds will increase statewide Saturday night into Sunday as the jet stream moves overhead. Moisture looks to stick around the high country through Sunday evening before a strong high pressure ridge builds into the region Monday. This ridge breaks down by Wednesday, when we shift into a moist and active weather pattern. Weather Saturday Night Sunday Sunday Night Temperature(°F) 12-17 18-23 8-13 Wind Speed(mph) 15-25 G/40s 15-25 G/40s 15-25 Wind Direction N NW NW Sky Cover Partly Cloudy Mostly Clear Clear Snow(in) 0-1 0 0 Snowpack Discussion No new avalanches were reported as of Friday. Mild weather prior to the recent storm helped the older snowpack to settle and strengthen. With such a deep snowpack in the area, our primary avalanche concern remains in the recent snow, so check the bond at the new/old snow interface before committing to steeper slopes. The top layer of snow will be the easiest to move. An observer near Durango Mountain Resort noted that new snow bonded well to the old surface. Our forecaster on Wolf Creek Pass observed occasional collapsing on south, southeast, northwest and east aspects on Friday. Large cornice drops released some soft slabs in the new snow below treeline. North and northwest winds will increase overnight Saturday and into Sunday, redistributing ample available snow onto east, southeast, south and southwest aspects near and above treeline. Expect to find tender slabs on these slopes as they reload once again. Cloud cover and cooler air on Sunday will help to lock up any temperature induced instabilities that may have been present Friday and Saturday. Continue to practice wise route finding and decision making. Avalanche Danger The avalanche danger for the Southern San Juan zone is CONSIDERABLE on all aspects above treeline and on east, southeast, south and southwest slopes near treeline. On other aspects and elevations the danger is MODERATE. Watch for fresh windslabs on southerly aspects. [57]Please let us know if you see any avalanche activity or experienced signs of instability. Sangre de Christo ================= Current Keywords: avalanche danger, consolidated, lee , orographic, precipitation , slabby, slabs, windslabs, Mountain Weather and Avalanche Forecast for the Sangre De Cristo Zone Forecast Issued on 2/16/2008 3:35:32 PM Forecaster: Ann Mellick Weather Synopsis The day started mostly clear, but clouds moved into the northern mountains by noon. Northwest flow will dominate the region the remainder of the weekend. A couple weak disturbances will ripple through the flow, bringing a chance of snow to the high country. The first disturbance will continue to work its way into the northern mountains this afternoon and spread southward by this evening. Another wave will sweep in by Sunday morning. Favorable orographic flow and cold air advection will generate snow in the northern and central mountains, particularly the Flat Tops, Park and Gore Ranges. Southern Colorado will enjoy mostly dry and mild conditions. Wind speeds will increase statewide Saturday night into Sunday as the jet stream moves overhead. Moisture looks to stick around the high country through Sunday evening before a strong high pressure ridge builds into the region Monday. This ridge breaks down by Wednesday, when we shift into a moist and active weather pattern. Weather Saturday Night Sunday Sunday Night Temperature(°F) 10-15 22-27 7-12 Wind Speed(mph) 20-30 15-25 G/45 15-25 Wind Direction NNW NNW NW Sky Cover Partly Cloudy Mostly Clear Clear Snow(in) 0-2 0-1 0 Snowpack Discussion The Sangres have missed out on the bulk of precipitation from storms this year. Winds in the most recent storm blew from the southeast, making some interesting loading patterns. Strong northwesterly winds will now move any available snow back onto south and easterly faces. The older snowpack remains slabby and extremely wind-effected. Over the course of the winter, strong winds scoured snow from fetches, and consolidated it into hard windslabs up to 4 feet thick in lee areas. These are the localized areas where deep slabs avalanches are still possible. Use extra caution on steep slopes near and above treeline with snow loaded on them. Also, we often see increased slide activity with the first warm-up. Wet loose slides will be most likely on sunny slopes, especially below treeline on Saturday. Even a small slide may take you somewhere you do not want to be. Avoid steep terrain until you have checked it out thoroughly. Avalanche Danger We have insufficient information to make an avalanche danger rating for the Sangres at this time. Watch for windslabs on all steep, open slopes. Please send observations from this or any other zone to [57]caic@qwest.net Sawatch ======= Current Keywords: MODERATE, avalanche danger, human triggered, human triggered avalanches, orographic, settle, slab, slabs, weak layers, windloaded, Mountain Weather and Avalanche Forecast for the Sawatch Range Zone Forecast Issued on 2/16/2008 3:13:57 PM Forecaster: Ann Mellick Weather Synopsis The day started mostly clear, but clouds moved into the northern mountains by noon. Northwest flow will dominate the region the remainder of the weekend. A couple weak disturbances will ripple through the flow, bringing a chance of snow to the high country. The first disturbance will continue to work its way into the northern mountains this afternoon and spread southward by this evening. Another wave will sweep in by Sunday morning. Favorable orographic flow and cold air advection will generate snow in the northern and central mountains, particularly the Flat Tops, Park and Gore Ranges. Southern Colorado will enjoy mostly dry and mild conditions. Wind speeds will increase statewide Saturday night into Sunday as the jet stream moves overhead. Moisture looks to stick around the high country through Sunday evening before a strong high pressure ridge builds into the region Monday. This ridge breaks down by Wednesday, when we shift into a moist and active weather pattern. Weather Saturday Night Sunday Sunday Night Temperature(°F) 8-13 18-23 7-12 Wind Speed(mph) 15-25 20-30 G/50 15-25 Wind Direction NW NW WNW Sky Cover Mostly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Mostly Clear Snow(in) 0-2 0-1 0 Snowpack Discussion Avalanche activity has dropped off with no new reported slides in almost a week. Recent mild weather has helped to settle the snowpack. Avalanches have become less frequent though weak interfaces persist, keeping human triggered slides possible in most locations. Although it has felt spring-like, we are deep into the winter season and have a complex snowpack with variable stratigraphy including stacks of both soft and hard slabs amongst a variety of weak layers. This can be a tricky time. Look for both surface and deep instabilities while traveling in the backcountry today. Deep slabs remain an infrequent but very real problem; particularly in near and above treeline areas. The most likely place to trigger a deep slab is near rock bands, vegetation or low on the slope where slabs are thinner and weak layers are closer to the surface. Once initiated, fractures often propagate long distances and into much deeper snow. Deep slabs are tricky to predict, and often result in very large slides. Cloud cover and cooler air on Sunday will help to lock up any temperature induced instabilities that may have been present Friday and Saturday. We still have a complex snowpack where human triggered slides remain possible, so continue to utilize safe travel protocols while traveling in the backcountry. Avalanche Danger The avalanche danger for the Sawatch Zone is MODERATE on all aspects and elevations. Human triggered avalanches are possible on steep, windloaded slopes, and have the potential to break deeply. Stability is improving, but we are not out of the woods yet. [57]Please let us know if you see any avalanche activity or experienced signs of instability. Steamboat ========= Current Keywords: LOW, MODERATE, avalanche danger, consolidate, human triggered, human triggered avalanches, orographic, sluff, Mountain Weather and Avalanche Forecast for the Steamboat and Parks Range Zone Forecast Issued on 2/16/2008 2:43:36 PM Forecaster: Ann Mellick Weather Synopsis The day started mostly clear, but clouds moved into the northern mountains by noon. Northwest flow will dominate the region the remainder of the weekend. A couple weak disturbances will ripple through the flow, bringing a chance of snow to the high country. The first disturbance will continue to work its way into the northern mountains this afternoon and spread southward by this evening. Another wave will sweep in by Sunday morning. Favorable orographic flow and cold air advection will generate snow in the northern and central mountains, particularly the Flat Tops, Park and Gore Ranges. Southern Colorado will enjoy mostly dry and mild conditions. Wind speeds will increase statewide Saturday night into Sunday as the jet stream moves overhead. Moisture looks to stick around the high country through Sunday evening before a strong high pressure ridge builds into the region Monday. This ridge breaks down by Wednesday, when we shift into a moist and active weather pattern. Weather Saturday Night Sunday Sunday Night Temperature(°F) 10-15 15-20 5-10 Wind Speed(mph) 10-20 15-25 15-25 Wind Direction WNW NW WNW Sky Cover Mostly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Snow(in) 1-4 1-3 0-2 Snowpack Discussion Things have gotten quiet in the Steamboat Zone. Recent mild weather has helped consolidate the snowpack. Our main avalanche concern remains in the upper snowpack. New snow over the next few days will not likely raise the avalanche danger. However, check the bond within upper layers before committing to steeper terrain. New snow may not stick well to older harder surfaces and even a relatively small sluff may take you somewhere you do not want to be. Human triggered avalanches remain possible on all aspects near and above treeline. Avalanche Danger The avalanche danger for the Steamboat Zone is MODERATE on all aspects near and above treeline and LOW on all aspects below treeline. Human triggered slides remain possible today. If you have any observations or data to share, please send them to [57]caic@qwest.net. Vail ==== Current Keywords: CONSIDERABLE, MODERATE, avalanche danger, cornices, human triggered, human triggered avalanches, orographic, slab, slabs, wind loaded, windloaded, Mountain Weather and Avalanche Forecast for the Vail and Summit County Zone Forecast Issued on 2/16/2008 2:49:39 PM Forecaster: Ann Mellick Weather Synopsis The day started mostly clear, but clouds moved into the northern mountains by noon. Northwest flow will dominate the region the remainder of the weekend. A couple weak disturbances will ripple through the flow, bringing a chance of snow to the high country. The first disturbance will continue to work its way into the northern mountains this afternoon and spread southward by this evening. Another wave will sweep in by Sunday morning. Favorable orographic flow and cold air advection will generate snow in the northern and central mountains, particularly the Flat Tops, Park and Gore Ranges. Southern Colorado will enjoy mostly dry and mild conditions. Wind speeds will increase statewide Saturday night into Sunday as the jet stream moves overhead. Moisture looks to stick around the high country through Sunday evening before a strong high pressure ridge builds into the region Monday. This ridge breaks down by Wednesday, when we shift into a moist and active weather pattern. Weather Saturday Night Sunday Sunday Night Temperature(°F) 8-13 13-18 2-7 Wind Speed(mph) 15-25 G/40 15-25 G/50 15-25 G/40 Wind Direction WNW NW WNW Sky Cover Mostly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Decreasing Snow(in) 0-3 0-2 0 Snowpack Discussion Avalanche activity has really slowed down with few slides to report. An observer near Breckenridge on Saturday noted reactive soft slabs in wind loaded areas above treeline. Tender cornices failed with testing, triggering 6-12 inch deep slides below. Slabs propagated far, but only ran a short distance before stopping. Our main avalanche concern today lies in the upper snowpack layers. Use caution in wind loaded areas where slabs will be most reactive to the weight of a backcountry traveler. Northwest winds picked up again on Saturday afternoon, loading available snow onto east, southeast and south aspects near and above treeline. Use caution in wind loaded areas where fresh slabs will become increasingly reactive to the weight of a backcountry traveler. While triggering a deep slide has become less likely, if you find the right trigger point, the resulting slide may be deep, and potentially large. Cloud cover and cooler air on Sunday will help to lock up any temperature induced instabilities that may have been present Friday and Saturday. New snow accumulations from the incoming storm will be modest though winds will strengthen adding yet another layer of slab on easterly aspects in near and above treeline areas. We still have a complex snowpack where human triggered slides remain possible, so continue to practice smart travel procedures and sound decision making. Avalanche Danger The avalanche danger for the Vail/Summit Zone includes pockets of CONSIDERABLE on wind loaded slopes facing east, southeast and south in near and above treeline areas. The danger is MODERATE on all other aspects and elevations. Human triggered avalanches are possible to probable on steep, windloaded slopes, and have the potential to break deeply. Stability hass improved, but we are not out of the woods yet.