DENVER (KDVR) — After the state’s second lethal avalanche in solely a matter of days, the Colorado Avalanche Info Middle warns that February is traditionally the deadliest month for avalanches.
In accordance with knowledge from the CAIC, in February 2024, Colorado noticed 17 whole avalanche incidents involving folks, together with one fatality. In February this 12 months, together with the fatality on Berthoud Cross, not less than 19 incidents and two deaths with per week left to go.
“It’s actually greater than we’d prefer to see,” stated CAIC director Ethan Greene.
Greene stated incidents decide up in February largely due to how the winter months progress, with avalanches breaking on weak layers of snow that shaped months in the past.
“By the point we get to February, we’ve got each these weak layers buried within the snow pack and we’ve got a number of snowfall in February and the winter has progressed sufficient so we’ve got a reasonably deep snow pack so the avalanches are a lot larger,” stated Greene.
On Saturday, avalanche hazard is listed as average or appreciable across the state, a two or three on a scale of 5, a score Greene stated is simple to disregard.
“However that’s just a little bit deceptive for folks as a result of a lot of the deadly accidents occur at these two hazard ranges within the center a part of the size,” stated Greene.
With hotter temperatures forward and no storms within the forecast, nevertheless, Greene stated the hazard is extra prone to go down.
“The additional we get away from the final large snow storm, the final large wind storm, the variety of these avalanches or the possibilities of triggering these avalanches will lower,” stated Greene.
Greene does say, nevertheless, that with the snowy months of March and April nonetheless to return, there’s potential for hazard to sit back up once more. He encourages backcountry hikers and skiers to examine the CAIC web site every single day for up to date circumstances earlier than going out.
