Backcountry skiers and snowboarders heading into the mountains over Presidents Day weekend are being urged by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center to incorporate avalanche danger into their holiday plans.
CAIC Director Ethan Greene said snowfall this week is expected to increase avalanche danger from Valentine’s Day to Presidents Day.
On top of that, the holiday weekend has historically been when the avalanche forecasting service has seen an increase in avalanche accidents. According to a Feb. 11 post on the center’s Facebook page, avalanche conditions in Colorado’s northern mountains are considerable, with the southern mountains – including the San Juans – expected to see a bump in danger.
“The Valentine’s Day period has a lot of historic accidents, especially in the San Juan Mountains,” Greene said. “People have more free time to get out and hopefully do some winter recreation over the holiday. So we’re just trying to kind of get people’s attention and remind them about avalanche safety.”
Greene said it is paramount that recreators check CAIC’s avalanche forecast before even heading into the mountains over the weekend. That, he said, will give people an idea of what terrain to avoid and what avalanche hazards exist.
“We want to make sure that they make a plan for the holiday that avoids the most dangerous areas, and hopefully gives them a chance to enjoy some winter recreation and come home safely at the end of the weekend,” Greene said.
Historically, February is Colorado’s deadliest month for avalanche fatalities. Greene said Presidents Day weekend in particular has seen more accidents than other weekends over the year.
“We typically do get these big snowstorms that come through during this time frame,” Greene said. “That coincides with this holiday period for folks where they have more free time to get out and have some fun in the mountains.”
If everything comes together, more snowfall will be a welcome change for Colorado’s dismally low snowpack. But Greene urged caution to those excited about the snow and itching to get into the backcountry.
To learn more about avalanche danger and weather conditions in the backcountry, visit avalanche.state.co.us.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
