Avalanche Weekly Summary - March 13, 2025

Northern Mountains
Last Thursday and Friday were the end of a multi-day storm that started on March 3 and brought 1 to 2 feet of snow to the Northern Mountains. Over the past week, people reported 53 avalanches — about half were human-triggered, which is a higher proportion than usual. Most avalanches were small, failing beneath the 1 to 2 feet of recent storm snow or within drifted snow. Since last Thursday, five people were caught in small avalanches, but none were buried or injured. 

Central Mountains
The March 3–7 storm brought 1 to 3 inches of snow water equivalent (or around 1 to 3 feet of snow) to the Central Mountains, with the West Elk Mountains seeing the most snowfall. Over the past week, people reported 66 avalanches, including 41 size D2 or larger. Over the weekend, 17 human-triggered avalanches were reported, resulting in four accidents in the West Elk Mountains — one involving a snowmobiler near Kebler Pass and three involving backcountry tourers near Marble.

Southern Mountains
The Southern Mountains saw heavy snow and strong westerly winds last Thursday and Friday. Over the past week, people reported 63 avalanches, with 75% being natural, including two D3 and two D2.5 avalanches — the largest of the season — near Red Mountain Pass during Friday's loading event. Last week, there were nine human-triggered avalanches, but no reports of anyone being caught. Explosives continue to trigger large avalanches, even as backcountry travelers report less feedback from cracking or collapsing snow.

Heading Into the Weekend
Avalanche danger will increase heading into the weekend, with new snow and strong winds driving the danger. The heaviest snowfall is expected Thursday night and Friday, creating Storm and Wind Slab avalanche problems. Avoid wind-drifted slopes, especially if you see shooting cracks in the snow or if the snow feels hollow underfoot. Expect loose avalanche activity when the sun returns and temperatures rise.