Avalanche — Elkhead and Park Mountains, Colorado

2022-03-19 · Elkhead and Park Mountains, Colorado

Event narrative

On March 19, two backcountry skiers planned a trip to an area locally known as the Dome in the North Fork of Fish Creek. The area is approximately eight miles east of the town of Steamboat Springs. While descending into a steeper, more open area, one of the skiers triggered an avalanche, was swept downhill and pinned against a tree. The second skier witnessed the avalanche and attempted CPR for over one hour before First Responders arrived. All attempts to revive the victim failed.

Wider weather episode

Winter storms dropped heavy snow over the mountains across Western Colorado in late December 2021 followed by over a month of dry weather into mid February 2022. By mid February, a series of new winter storms brought more heavy snow to the Colorado High Country. The dry period in between weakened the snowpack, resulting in hazardous backcountry conditions into the month of March.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1007746. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.