Steamboat & Flat Tops

Westerly winds drifted snow into thick slabs on easterly slopes on Sunday. Large open slopes that sit directly below ridgetop are most prone to wind loading and where you are most likely to trigger an avalanche on Monday. Avoid steep slopes if you see cracks in front of you in the snow or hear audible collapses. Look for wind-sheltered slopes or slopes less than about 35 degrees as safer options.

On February 20 and 22, backcountry snowboarders were caught and killed in avalanches in separate incidents. One west of the town of Silverton on a terrain feature locally known as The Nose. The other was near the summit of Berthoud Pass in a terrain feature locally known as The Fingers. In both fatal accidents, the avalanches broke several feet deep and spread wide across multiple terrain features. You can read the preliminary accident reports here andhere.