Sangre de Cristo

Dangerous avalanche conditions develop Monday night into Tuesday. You can trigger an avalanche in the storm snow, and some avalanches may break several feet deep on buried weak layers.

A pair of recent accidents highlight the consequence of triggering a deep avalanche. On Friday, three backcountry skiers triggered and were caught in a large avalanche near Marble on an easterly-facing slope. Sadly one died. You can read the preliminary report here. Sunday afternoon another skier died in an accident in Maroon Bowl, on a northerly-facing slope near Aspen Highlands. You can read this preliminary report here.

An Avalanche Watch is in effect from Tuesday night through Thursday afternoon. Expect very dangerous avalanche conditions. Heavy snowfall and strong winds will produce natural avalanches, and human-triggered avalanches will be very likely. Avoid backcountry avalanche terrain during this time.

For Tuesday, you can trigger an avalanche where wind-drifted snow forms a more cohesive surface layer above softer, weaker layers below.. Near and above-treeline slopes facing north through northeast to east harbor the most dangerous combination of stiff surface layers and weaker, less cohesive snow below. Avoid areas where you see evidence of drifting like lens-shaped pillows or a firm, sculpted snow surface beneath ridgelines, or slopes beneath cornices. If you experience cracking in the snow or hear audible collapses, retreat to less-steep or more wind-sheltered terrain. Slopes less than about thirty degrees and below-treeline southerly slopes provide safer options.