Gunnison

An Avalanche Watch is in effect for the Elk Mountains. A potent storm will create very dangerous avalanche conditions across the area Tuesday evening through Wednesday. You can easily trigger large avalanches and some will release spontaneously. Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended during this period.

For Tuesday, the avalanche danger will increase throughout the day. You can easily trigger an avalanche on most steep slopes where you find over a foot of new snow. On northerly-facing slopes, you might be able to trigger avalanches from below a slope or from a distance. Most of these avalanches will be small early in the day but by the afternoon they can grow large enough to bury you. For safer travel options start and end your day in the backcountry early before snow accumulations exceed much more than a foot or just stick to slopes less than about 30 degrees steep without steep slopes overhead.