Avalanche in Southwestern San Juan Mountains, Colorado

A party of three skiers triggered an avalanche in the Cement Creek drainage area of the northwest San Juan Mountains. The slide occurred on a steep northeast aspect known as Clothesline Path. The steepness of this slope, combined with new snowfall over a weakened slab of older snow, created dangerous avalanche conditions. Two of the skiers were partially buried with non-critical injuries, while the third skier was fully buried and did not survive after being uncovered several minutes after the avalanche.

After an extended period of relatively dry weather, a winter storm during the last week of January brought a considerable amount of new snow to the San Juan Mountains. The new snowfall on top of a weakened old layer of snow created dangerous avalanche conditions. Many natural avalanches occurred as a result of the snow storm, as well as some human triggered avalanches such as the deadly avalanche on February 2nd.