Sawatch

A Special Avalanche Advisory for much of Colorado. Heavy snow and strong winds dramatically changed avalanche conditions. You can easily trigger large, deadly avalanches throughout President’s Day weekend.

Continued snowfall and strong westerly winds will keep the danger elevated. Look for smooth, rounded drifts below ridges or along the sides of cross-loaded gullies as prime places to trigger a large avalanche. As ongoing loading stresses weaker layers buried in the snowpack, avalanches could break unexpectedly or from a distance away from a slope. Avoiding steeper terrain and seeking out lower-angle wind-sheltered slopes will greatly reduce your risk.