January 2026 Avalanche Summary – Colorado

January 2026 marked a shift toward more active avalanche conditions across Colorado following December’s unseasonably warm and dry weather. While snowfall totals remained below average statewide, multiple storms incrementally loaded a shallow, weak snowpack. Frequent wind accompanied many storms, redistributing snow into slabs over persistent weak layers. Avalanche activity increased through the month, with several modest natural and human-triggered cycles and multiple involvements. Most avalanches were small to medium in size, though isolated larger avalanches occurred when slides stepped down into deeper weak layers.

January 2026 reinforced the challenges of managing avalanche risk during a season defined by a shallow, weak snowpack. Even modest snowfall and small loading events were sufficient to produce avalanche cycles when combined with wind. Conditions varied significantly by region, but persistent weak layers remained a common thread statewide. Low-probability, high-consequence avalanches remained possible, particularly in wind-loaded terrain.

Early January: Gradual Loading of a Weak Snowpack

Early January storms added new snow to a structurally weak snowpack, particularly on shaded aspects and in thinner snowpack areas such as the Gore Range, Park Range, and parts of the Central Mountains. Avalanche activity remained relatively limited during this period, but early incidents highlighted that even small avalanches could catch people off guard. Persistent Slab and Wind Slab problems became increasingly widespread as wind redistributed snow near ridgetops.

Mid-January Storms: Storms, Wind Loading, and Increasing Avalanche Activity

A more active period in mid-January brought additional snowfall and stronger winds to much of the state. The Steamboat area and Park Range received some of the higher totals in the north, while the Ruby, Ragged, and West Elk Mountains saw significant loading in the Central Mountains. Low-density snow was easily transported by northerly and northwesterly winds, forming sensitive wind slabs and adding load to persistent weak layers. Avalanche activity increased during this period, including multiple human-triggered avalanches and several modest natural cycles. In some locations, avalanches gouged to the ground or stepped down into older weak layers, underscoring the continued influence of early-season facets.

Late January: Persistent Weak Layers and Continued Sensitivity

Late January was characterized by smaller storms, dry periods, and continued wind. In the Northern Mountains, a series of windy, low-snowfall events continued to produce human-triggered avalanches near ridgetops, particularly where slabs formed over near-surface facets buried mid-month. In the Central Mountains, warm, dry weather and persistent wind led to a general decline in avalanche activity. However, isolated larger avalanches remained possible in steep, wind-loaded terrain near ridgelines, including in the Sawatch Range. The Southern Mountains, including the San Juan Mountains and Sangre de Cristo Range, saw generally quieter conditions late in the month, with isolated loose avalanches becoming more likely during periods of afternoon warming on sunny slopes.