Steamboat & Flat Tops

A Special Avalanche Advisory is in effect for mountainous areas of Colorado. New snow and winds through the holiday weekend will increase the avalanche danger statewide. Very dangerous avalanche conditions will develop in some regions, with the most dangerous conditions developing Saturday afternoon and into Sunday. Avalanche conditions will be more dangerous than we’ve experienced in weeks. Adjust your weekend plans accordingly and check the forecast frequently for changing conditions.

New snow and wind are thickening slabs on top of weak, collapsible snow layers in the upper snowpack. If you trigger an avalanche, it can break beneath all of January's snow resulting in a large, wide, and hard-to-escape avalanche. These avalanches can be triggered from below steep slopes and adjacent low-angle slopes. The most dangerous conditions are on easterly-facing slopes below ridgetop with wind-drifted snow.