The Colorado Avalanche Information Center reported six wet loose avalanches in the Lizard Head Pass area between Jan. 4 and 6.
There have likely been more since a local warming trend that pushed the temperature in Rico into the 50s this week.
“Warmer weather is causing early melting of the snowpack,” said avalanche forecaster Scott Toepfer. “These wet slides are both natural and human-caused, and will continue until more normal winter temperatures return.”
The wet slides are not overly dangerous, he said, but they add to an already unstable mountain snowpack.
That’s because the San Juan Mountains are at risk for the more dangerous persistent slab avalanches attributed to a weak snow layer underneath.
“That risk will stay with us the rest of the winter season,” he said. “Slab avalanches are larger and can cause injury or death.”
An avalanche that killed a Durango woman on Kendall Mountain above Silverton Tuesday was thought to have been a slab avalanche. She is the second avalanche fatality in Colorado in seven days. A snowshoer died after getting caught in a slide on Kelso Mountain near Loveland Pass on Dec. 31.
Wet avalanches compound the problem because their sudden weight to the snowpack can trigger a more dangerous slab slide underneath.
From Colorado Highway 145, fresh avalanches could be seen above Rico and near Trout lake.
“Wet slides can be avoided by skiing earlier in the day when the snowpack is still frozen,” Toepfer said. “Seeing this type of avalanche this time of year is unusual.”
Current avalanche danger in the San Juans is rated moderate. But the recent warm weather has added greater uncertainty to the snowpack, said avalanche forecaster Josh Hirshberg.
“There have been reports of wet loose slides triggering persistent slabs running on loaded and sunny southeast slopes,” he states in a Jan. 7 report.
“When triggered, persistent slab avalanches are often surprising and can propagate over terrain features further than you might expect.”
On Jan. 2, a snowboarder was caught in an avalanche in the Bear Creek out-of-bounds area. He survived.
Officials with the San Juan National Forest remind backcountry users that winter travel carries a risk.
“Enter at your own risk, know the conditions,” said recreation planner Tom Rice. “Be prepared with a partner, avalanche beacon, probe, cell phone and gear to spend the night if there is an emergency. Always tell someone where you’re going.”
Loose, wet avalanches occur where water is running through the snowpack. Avoid terrain traps such as cliffs, gullies, or tree wells. Exit avalanche terrain when you see pinwheels, roller balls, a slushy surface, or during rain-on-snow events.
CDOT does avalanche control work on Lizard Head pass but has not so far this year, said spokesperson Nancy Shanks.
CDOT partners with the CAIC to monitor 48 slide paths from Ophir south to mile marker 44.
jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com