DENVER — Dangerous avalanche conditions persist in Colorado’s backcountry and officials are issuing a warning after a streak of avalanches in March caught 11 people off guard.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) reported this weekend that a total of 11 people have been caught in avalanches since it started to snow again on March 3.
All 11 escaped with their lives, the CAIC said, but “this streak of close calls and everyone going home at the end of the day cannot last,” the agency said in a news release.
The CAIC said conditions in the backcountry are perfect for more avalanches as thick slabs of snow formed from earlier storms sit precariously over a weaker layer of snow, forming a deadly combination.
A snowmobiler was caught, buried, and killed in an avalanche near Willow Park, Wyoming on Saturday. The CAIC said the Wyoming incident occurred in the same conditions that exists in Colorado.
Check the avalanche forecast before leaving the house by visiting the CAIC website. You can also see CAIC's Avalanche Explorer on this page.
