Avalanche risk remains high in Colorado; skier killed
Recent avalanches are the biggest avalanches to occur in Colorado in decades making travel in the high country dangerous.
Updated 12:20 p.m., Friday, March 8, 2019
The risk of avalanche remained high in the central and northern mountains of Colorado heading into the weekend, a day after officials warned of “historic danger.”
On Thursday, a back country skier was killed by an avalanche near Jones Pass on the Front Range, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
Another back-country skier was found dead in the aftermath of a Sunday avalanche in the Matterhorn area near Telluride, the Associated Press reported.
In neighboring Wyoming, a snowmobiler was “caught, buried, and killed” Monday in an avalanche northwest of Togwotee Pass, the avalanche center said.
Original post 7:37 p.m. ET, Thursday, March 7, 2019
Colorado facing ‘historic’ avalanche threat, center warns
Colorado is in the midst of an avalanche alert today.
The risk is extreme-to-high in the mountains from the New Mexico to Wyoming state lines, with “historic avalanches expected to valley floors,” according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
“Very dangerous conditions in backcountry,” the center said in a Tweet. “Warm temps, rain on snow, & strong winds overloading snowpack.”
Closed roads
Stretches of highway and a mountain pass were closed, including Interstate 70 in the vicinity of Vail, the Colorado Department of Transportation said.
Careening snow and ice ruptured a natural gas line near the Copper Mountain resort, according to the Associated Press.
Avalanches were also reported today in the vicinity of Aspen, Steamboat and Flat Tops, according to avalanche center data.
Breckenridge Resort closed “upper mountain lifts and terrain for the day,” according to a Tweet.
Related:
- Snow, landslides & avalanches
- Starr offers skiing, snowboarding rescue insurance
- Here are 12 ways to protect your life and property from a landslide
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