Colorado Avalanche Information Center -- Boulder Public Forecast of Mountain Weather and Backcountry Avalanche Conditions This is Dale at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center with current information on mountain weather, snow and avalanche conditions updated at 1610 hours, Sunday, February 25, 2001. This report was updated with some accident information that occurred this afternoon. DISCUSSION Today some mid-level moisture will continue to fuel clouds and a few snows showers over the high country on W-SW flow. Moisture decreases tonight but increases again on Monday, especially for the S side of the S mtns. Also on Monday the flow aloft splits, but deeper moisture moves over the mountains later in the day. In the absence of winds and storm energy there will only be snow showers through Tuesday. The forecast details: WEATHER N & C Mtns Sunday: Mostly cloudy, widely scattered snow showers, 0-2". Winds decreasing so by afternoon WSW/10-20 G30s. Highs 16-26. Sun night: Becoming partly cloudy, few lingering showers on high peaks. Winds WSW/10-20 G30. Lows 5 to 15. Monday: Becoming mostly cloudy, snow showers developing, especially in afternoon. Winds V/5-15 (variable in direction). Highs 18 to 28. S Mtns Sunday: Becoming mostly cloudy, isolated snow showers. Winds decreasing by afternoon SW/10-20 G30. Highs 16-26. Sun night: Partly cloudy early, increasing clouds late. Winds SW-W/5-15 G30. Lows 8 to 18. Monday: Cloudy, snow showers, 1-4". Winds V/5-15 (variable in direction). Highs 20 to 30. SNOWPACK Early reports of new snow in the past 24 hours are generally in the 2-3 inch range for all mountain areas; however, Gothic and Kebler Pass in the Crested Butte zone each reporting 6 inches. The big winners were Powder Horn Ski area on the Grand Mesa where 14" fell!. Windy conditions on Saturday and overnight likely caused shallow soft slabs 1 to 3 feet thick. On steeper slopes these soft slabs will be tender and prone to triggered release. Today backcountry travelers should continue to use extra caution if venturing onto steeper terrain, especially when encountering fresh wind-drifted areas. With brisk winds this morning causing blowing snow in many mountain areas a few natural releases may occur. On Saturday afternoon Copper Mountain Ski Patrol reported a ski-cut slab release in the recent wind-drift snow on an SE aspect above treeline that was 1-2 feet deep. Locally in the Crested Butte area backcountry skiers reported triggering releases but I have no details. Our observers in the Crested Butte area report "the snowpack is reaching its limit" regarding the new-snow load. Also on Saturday reduction work with explosives by CDOT was productive on Red Mountain Pass with 17 soft slab avalanches triggered by explosives. This morning only two avalanches reported. One SSN2 occurred this morning on the N side of Grand Mesa. Also near Ophir this morning one HSAE3O was triggered near Hope Lake on a W aspect at 10,800 feet. The fracture line was up to 5 feet deep. (For future reference: At the bottom of this web page is the link for showing avalanche classifications.) Avalanche reduction work at Copper Mountain and Breckenridge resulted in few slides this morning. In the N mtns near Breckenridge one soft slab triggered by cornice fall off Peak 6 (Tenmile Range) on an E aspect at 12,400 feet. On Loveland Pass a backcountry snowboarder triggered a large slab on a West aspect (just S of Dave's wave) near Grizzly Peak above treeline. More exciting was a natural release reported outside Ashcroft (South about 1.75 miles) at 1215 in the C mtns. A very large, but shallow and long running soft slab ran almost to the valley floor while the powder cloud crossed the valley. The powder cloud hit a cross-country skier and tumbled him. The slide released from about 12000 feet and ran about 2000 vertical feet on an East aspect. I suspect this slide was triggered by the rapid warm up when clouds cleared; however, no other slides were observed. This event raises the hair on the back of our necks as the Ashcroft area had received relatively little snow (7 inches since the 2/21) and--at the time--a not so significant trigger resulted in an isolated but significant slide that ran to the valley floor. It is troubling when relatively mild conditions (new snow, wind and temperatures) can produce big avalanches. We just received the report of a fatal avalanche accident that occurred this earlier this afternoon on Ohio Pass (about 6 miles as the crow flies WSW of Crested Butte) in the Anthracite Range. It was reported to us that a women backcountry skier was killed in a sizable slab avalanche. A very preliminary report shows the soft slab avalanche (SS-AS-?) released on a NE aspect at about 10,100 feet. The slide was estimated at 400 feet across and fell about 600 vertical feet. Backcountry travelers should continue to use extra caution if venturing onto steeper slopes and gullies. No changes in the backcountry avalanche danger ratings: N mtns & C Mtns: Generally MODERATE below treeline, CONSIDERABLE near and above treeline West San Juans: MODERATE below treeline CONSIDERABLE near and above treeline, with pockets HIGH on NE-SE aspects East San Juans: MODERATE on steep, recently wind-loaded aspects 35 degrees and steeper, otherwise LOW. Atkins