Gunnison

An Avalanche Watch is in effect for the West Elk Mountains, Ragged Wilderness, and the Ruby Range. New snow and strong winds will create very dangerous avalanche conditions starting Friday night and lasting through Monday. Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended during this time.

For Friday, dangerous avalanche conditions exist. You can easily trigger an avalanche on most slopes where you find over a foot of new snow. The most dangerous slopes face west through north to southeast. If you trigger an avalanche here, it will be large and run farther than you expect. To decrease your chances of being caught and buried in an avalanche, stick to slopes less than about 35 degrees if you find more than a foot of new snow and give any steep slopes facing west through north to southeast a wide margin.