Persistent Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1.5–2.5
Avalanche forecast
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Colorado Avalanche Information Center
Avalanche danger
Sat
Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.
Avalanche problems
Avalanche Summary
You can trigger a dangerous avalanche on any steep slope where you find a cohesive slab of snow resting on weak snow near the ground. Thursday, observers on the west side of Independence Pass reported rumbling collapses with long-running cracks near treeline where the snowpack depth was around three to five feet.
Recent northwesterly winds drifted new snow onto northeast, to east, through south-facing slopes making them the most dangerous. Near the treeline the slabs are thicker and avalanches can break dangerously deep. You can trigger an avalanche from below a slope and from a distance and they may break wider than you expect so give steep slopes of concern a wide margin. Seek out wind-sheltered slopes below treeline where the snowpack remains soft throughout.