Here’s What Early Season Avy Conditions Look Like
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The debris field from an early season slide in Colorado. CAIC photo.
There has been substantial snowfall throughout the western US over the past week, contributing to what has been a strong 2018/2019 early season. While few resorts are open, many skiers have been enjoying high-elevation backcountry lines in the Rockies. In the interest of encouraging safe enjoyment of said lines, we’ve put together a roundup of avalanche conditions in the Northern and Central Rockies:
Montana:
There are no current avalanche advisories in
Montana, but slides have been observed in the Bridgers and at Big Sky.
This naturally-triggered avalanche occurred at Big Sky on Friday, Nov. 2. Luckily, no one was in the area. Big Sky Resort photo.
Wyoming:
Jackson Hole is the only area in the country with active avalanche advisories. The Teton, Togwotee Pass, and Grey’s River areas all have low-risk advisories based on wind-slabbing on northern and eastern aspects.
Bridger Teton Avalanche Center graphic.
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Colorado:
The only avy-related injuries this season have been in Colorado’s high alpine. A skier was caught and partially buried by a slide on Friday, Nov. 2 near Hoosier Pass. Luckily, he was uninjured and was able to self-rescue.
The slide which left a skier partially buried near Hoosier Pass. CAIC photo.
There were two incidents in October, including one in which a hiker was swept off a cliff by an avalanche on South Arapaho Peak, near Boulder. While the October events were likely due to residual snow from last season, they indicate a potentially unstable snowpack rendered even more hazardous by recent snowfall.
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