After picking up nearly 2 to 4 feet of new snow the past week, the avalanche danger is high for all elevations below and above tree line in the southern San Juan Mountains.
According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, “numerous large natural avalanches have occurred, and human-triggered avalanches continue to be very likely on steep slopes.”
On its website, the agency recommends avoiding backcountry travel until the danger subsides.
Large snowfall in a short time span can push snowpack to a breaking point. The avalanche center reports that on slopes 30 degrees or steeper, the likelihood of triggering an avalanche is high.
“No need to beat around the bush,” Jeff Davis posted early Tuesday morning. “Very dangerous avalanche conditions exist in the San Juan Mountains. This storm has already brought a lot of snow and strong winds to the forecast area and is expected to continue into Wednesday.”
The center’s avalanche forecaster, Mark Gober, said crews began Tuesday mitigating areas north of Silverton toward Red Mountain Pass, which has been closed since Sunday evening.
On Monday, crews worked on Molas and Coal Bank passes, yielding 24 avalanches from 37 deployed explosive rounds, Gober said.
The National Weather Service is reporting no new significant accumulations for the rest of the week.
