Avalanche — Flattop Mountains, Colorado

2020-02-15 · Flattop Mountains, Colorado

Event narrative

A hard slab avalanche was unintentionally triggered by 3 motorized snow-bikers following a week of heavy, wind blown snow in the South Fork of Dickson Creek, east of Red and White Mountain. The avalanche was 3 to 4 feet in depth, 600 feet wide and debris ran for about 300 vertical feet. The avalanche was described a medium-sized and produced enough force to injure, bury, or kill a person. All 3 of the snow-bikers were trapped or partially buried. Only 1 survived.

Wider weather episode

After a week of heavy, wind blown snow across the Central Colorado Rockies where up to four feet of snow had fallen, back country recreationists unintentionally triggered a hard slab avalanche while riding motorized snow-bikes.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 870789. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.