Not the current avalanche danger. This is an archived copy of the advisory in effect on April 9, 2024 for the Mt Bethel area where an avalanche incident occurred. Avalanche Forecast Issued on:Tue, Apr 9, 2024 at 6:30 AM Lat: 39.710, Long: -105.879 Tuesday, Apr 09 Above and Near Treeline: 2 - Moderate Below Treeline: 1 - Low Avoid stiff wind-drifted slabs on steep slopes. You're most likely to find drifted snow and trigger an avalanche on open slopes directly below ridgelines that face an easterly direction or in a cross-loaded gully further downslope. You might trigger a slab avalanche in high-elevation, rocky terrain with a shallow or highly variable snowpack depth. Wind-drifted northerly or easterly-facing slopes can produce large avalanches. You can choose slopes with a deeper, stronger, more continuous snowpack to reduce your odds of triggering one. Start and end your day early to avoid triggering a small wet avalanche in the afternoon. As snow surfaces warm, cohesionless wet snow can slide on frozen crusts buried in the upper snowpack. Avalanche Problems (2) Problem: Wind Slab Aspect/Elevation: N-SE Near and Above treeline Likelihood: Possible Size: Large - Small What you need to know about these avalanches 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: Persistent Slab Aspect/Elevation: NW-NE Near and Above treeline; W,E Above treeline Likelihood: Unlikely Size: Large - Small What you need to know about these avalanches Persistent Slab avalanches can be triggered days to weeks after the last storm. They often propagate across and beyond terrain features that would otherwise confine Wind and Storm Slab avalanches. In some cases they can be triggered remotely, from low-angle terrain or adjacent slopes. Give yourself a wide safety buffer to address the uncertainty. Not the current avalanche danger. Avalanche Forecast Forecast Discussion Weather Forecasts Issuedon:Mon, Apr 8, 2024 at 4:30 PM Lat: 39.710, Long: -105.879 Northern Mountains Regional Discussion Avalanche concerns are slowing down and the weather mid-week will help that trend continue. The Wind Slab avalanche problem this weekend is mostly done and the drifts adhere to the old snow below. That said, key an eye on the terrain below, and the consequences if you and your bad luck pry off a small slab. Many people have tested many features around the region with no results, but get into a wind-drifted feature on a very steep, unsupported slope above a cliff, and as the saying goes... your results may vary. Wet snow concerns slow down mid-week, but you might push shallow Loose Wet avalanches on steep slopes as the snow surfaces warm. Again, keep an eye on the terrain below you to keep a lid on your risk. A skier caught in a tiny slide on Monday near Crested Butte came away relatively unscathed because the slope angle petered out. Lastly, despite a big downturn in avalanche activity, in some areas of the Northern Mountains there is still a small chance you can trigger an avalanche that breaks on a weak layer buried deeply in the snowpack. This could happen as a result of a smaller avalanche stepping down or if you travel on a rocky steep slope that has a much thinner than normal snowpack. These thinner areas are generally found on north and northwest-facing slopes in areas of the southeast Front Range and eastern Sawatch Mountains. Winds scoured these slopes most of the winter, allowing thick weak layers to develop. Recent upslope storms with different wind-loading patterns have now built dense slabs on top. Use extra caution if you are traveling in these areas, especially if there are signs of recent drifting and cross-loading, but the snowpack is less than about 3 to 6 feet thick.