Archived Avalanche Advisory for Breckenridge, CO area
This is an archived bulletin related to an avalanche fatality on April 29, 2023

Issued on:Thu, Apr 27, 2023 at 4:30 PM

Danger Scale Rating:

Saturday, Apr 29 and Sunday, Apr 30

Above Treeline: Moderate
Near Treeline: Moderate
Below Treeline: Low

Northerly slopes and those below treeline offer the safest riding on Friday. 

On southerly aspects, look for and avoid rounded pillows where the wind has drifted snow into sensitive slabs. These may crack beneath you as you travel. You will find them below ridgelines and around terrain features. As the day warms, these slabs will shed in sheets spontaneously, especially from steep rocky terrain. When the sun peeks through the clouds, and you start to see small point-release avalanches and roller balls, it is time to avoid being on or under steep southerly slopes. Berthoud and Independence pass, Pikes Peak, and the Southern Sangre de Cristo mountains accumulate the most snow, so use extra caution in these locations.

Avalanche Problems

Problem: Wind Slab
Aspect/Elevation: W though S through E above/at treeline
Likelihood: Possible
Size: Large to Small

Wind Slab avalanches release naturally during wind events and can be triggered for up to a week after a wind event. They form in lee and cross-loaded terrain features. Avoid them by sticking to wind sheltered or wind scoured areas.

Problem: Loose Wet
Aspect/Elevation: W though S through E above/at treeline
Likelihood: Likely
Size: Small

Loose Wet avalanches occur when water is running through the snowpack, and release at or below the trigger point. Avoid very steep slopes and 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.

Northern Mountains Regional Discussion

After a warm sunny day on Thursday, a fast-moving winter storm blankets up to nine inches of snow overnight in the Northern Mountains. The highest snowtotals can be found from the Indian Peaks Wilderness down to Berthoud Pass, in the Gore Range and on Pikes Peak. If you choose to travel in these areas be extra vigilant for signs of instability. As a cold front approaches winds pick up from the north. These winds give a booster to the snowfall numbers by moving cold snow onto southerly aspects ahead of snowfall. A firm crust on these aspects has the potential to reduce bonding creating sensitive easy to trigger windslabs by the morning.

Cracking and collapsing in the snow are direct signs of instability but use clues like fresh cornice growth, tails of new snow behind trees, and areas of snow erosion to look for strange loading and alterations in wind during the storm. With strong winds there is a good chance that features like gullies could get cross loaded during the storm. Think about the consequences of the terrain you ride as even small avalanches in complex or extreme terrain can knock you off your feet and send you on a dangerous ride. Steep couloirs, hanging snow fields, or steep faces with cliffs will add a dangerous habanero spice to your day. This video from Marble does a good job of demonstrating the issues you may face on Friday.

As soon as sun starts to hit these loaded south-facing slopes expect the new snow to peel off the underlying crust in sizeable sheets. In late April it doesn't take much sunshine to start a shed cycle so start paying attention to what is above you once the sun starts to peek through. Remember that you may still be in the shade of a valley in the morning but the peaks above you could already be starting to cook. Areas with lots of rocks and shallower areas of snow are areas the first avalanches may occur as they will heat up the quickest but you can easily move to more shaded terrain to reduce your chances of a dangerous encounter with this issue.