Avalanche — Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys, Colorado
February 23, 2015 · NOAA Storm Events record
Event narrative (NOAA)
Two backcountry skiers were in an area south of Aspen where avalanche conditions were classified as considerable. One skier was caught and killed in an avalanche near Richmond Hill, just west and outside of the Aspen Mountain Ski Area in an area locally known as Ophir Gulch. The avalanche released at the 9990 foot level on a slope that is below treeline and generally faces west. The slide was 20 feet wide at the highest point of the crown face, but widened to about 60 feet after traveling a short distance. The vertical distance between the highest point of the crown face and the burial point was 630 vertical feet, then ran another 20 vertical feet beyond the burial point. The slope angle in the start zone ranged from 38 to 40 degrees, then ranged from 30 and 35 degrees for the rest of the
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Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.