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Avalanche — Northwestern San Juan Mountains, Colorado

March 3, 2019 · NOAA Storm Events record

Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
0
Property damage
—
Area
Northwestern San Juan Mountains

Event narrative (NOAA)

A backcountry skier was skiing up a mountain near the Matterhorn Nordic Trail system north of Trout Lake, near Lizard Head Pass, after a recent winter storm brought new snow in excess of 2 feet to the area. The new snow fell on top of an unstable snowpack from earlier winter storms. The avalanche was triggered by the skier going off course. It was a soft slab avalanche that broke around 300 feet wide and ran approximately 600 vertical feet. It released on a south-facing slope at around 11,250 feet. After the avalanche, the skier was buried approximately 3 feet deep and he did not survive.

Other notable avalanche events in Colorado

S & Se Grand / W Central & Sw Boulder / Gilpin / Clear Creek / Summit / N & W Park Counties Above 9000 Feet · April 20, 20135 killedWest Elk And Sawatch Mountains/Taylor Park / W Lake / W Chaffee / Wc To Ec Gunnison · February 6, 19993 killedNorthwestern San Juan Mountains · February 1, 20213 killedGore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys · March 13, 20072 killedS & E Jackson / Larimer / N & Ne Grand / Nw Boulder Counties Above 9000 Feet · January 1, 20062 killedGore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys · March 17, 20002 killed

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.

Avalanche — Northwestern San Juan Mountains, Colorado, March 3, 2019 | DisasterAtlasUSA