Avalanche — West Elk and Sawatch Mountains, Colorado
2002-02-06 · West Elk and Sawatch Mountains, Colorado
1
Direct deaths
Wider weather episode
A backcountry skier was traversing a ridge at the 12,000 foot level on the south side of Crystal Peak and triggered a hard slab avalanche which was 150 feet wide and ran 300 vertical feet. The skier was found buried under 4 feet of snow.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5283801. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.