An unstable snowpack due to topsy-turvy weather late last year was one of the factors behind the first deadly avalanche of the year in Colorado, according to investigators.

The riders, "knowingly ducked a rope closure line" and triggered a D2 wind slab avalanche that caught three of the four riders in the group. The observation does not include a photo of the avalanche ...

According to a social media post, since Christmas, CAIC has received hundreds of reports of avalanches across the state. Most of these reports describe common signs of persistent slab avalanches ...

More common for the area, Central Oregon Avalanche Center (COAC) has also cited wind slabs as a consistent problem throughout their forecast season, which began on December 1. Friday, December 20 ...

wet avalanches, and slab avalanches. Slab avalanches, which occur when a wide layer of a hardened snow slides down a slope, are responsible for the most deaths, according to the forest service.

Avalanches are triggered when the weight on the snow pack causes the slab to fracture. One person puts far less pressure on a slope than two or three people. When you stop to wait for the rest of ...

said the risk of avalanches will be elevated “through the rest of the week.” “Wind has the opportunity to continue moving light density snow and forming sensitive wind slabs,” the post said.

He said that the northerly aspect where he triggered the avalanche “is frequently skied” and he could feel more of the wind slab under the snow when poking around after the slide.

"Through the rest of the week, the risk of avalanches will be elevated as wind has the opportunity to continue moving light density snow and forming sensitive wind slabs," the center said.

These deposits bond together on top of existing layers of snow, Rettie said, and when the top slab is stronger than the layer beneath it, the greater the risk for an avalanche. “We’re seeing ...

The riders, "knowingly ducked a rope closure line" and triggered a D2 wind slab avalanche that caught three of the four riders in the group. The observation does not include a photo of the ...