The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) is warning backcountry travelers that a major winter storm arriving Tuesday, Feb. 17, is expected to bring the season’s most widespread dangerous avalanche conditions to Colorado’s mountains. Avalanche danger is expected to increase through the week, with some areas forecast to reach high (Level 4 of 5) avalanche danger as early as Tuesday afternoon, including parts of the northern mountains (Park Range), central mountains (Elk and West Elk mountains) and southern mountains (San Juan Mountains).
The CAIC expects the storm to produce the largest and most destructive avalanches of the season. These avalanches will be large enough to seriously injure or kill a person.
Backcountry travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended in areas rated high from Tuesday afternoon through Friday, when natural avalanches will be likely and human-triggered avalanches will be very likely. The CAIC urges backcountry travelers to avoid avalanche terrain and avalanche runout zones during periods of HIGH danger.
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