Avalanche — West Elk and Sawatch Mountains, Colorado

2024-02-11 · West Elk and Sawatch Mountains, Colorado

Event narrative

Avalanche danger on the day of the accident was rated at Moderate to Considerable. A group of backcountry skiers planned to ski a steep basin on the east end of Ohio Peak, known locally as The Playground. The group triggered several small avalanches remotely over the course of the day, before directly triggering several avalanches, one of which caught a party member and swept him downhill and buried him. This skier was found and extricated, but was severely injured and later died of these injuries.

Wider weather episode

A strong Atmospheric River event brought a period of prolonged heavy snowfall to the mountains of Western Colorado.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1151847. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.