This weekend is historically the most treacherous time for avalanches in Colorado and it is coinciding with a snowstorm, which will bring the highest level of avalanche danger of the month so far.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) explained that over the past decade, 10 avalanches have killed 13 people around Presidents Day weekend in Colorado. February is the deadliest overall month for avalanches in the state.
Denver7 reported on this in 2025 as well, when Colorado was experiencing much more normal snowpack and CAIC had to warn people to not try to "outsmart" the problem for a few powder turns.
Things are a little different this year with Colorado's snow drought, but the danger remains high for this weekend in particular.
The combination of fresh snow, improving weather and more people headed into the backcountry is elevating the risk, CAIC said. The organization rates avalanche danger on a scale of one to five, and some northern and central mountains are rated as a three, or "considerable" on Saturday and Sunday.
"So, that's actually pretty dangerous avalanche conditions, where we expect some avalanches to release naturally, and many slopes will be primed for human triggered avalanches," Brian Lazar, deputy director of CAIC, told Denver7's Veronica Acosta.
“Holiday weekends bring more people into the backcountry at the same time avalanche danger is rising,” explained CAIC Director Ethan Greene. “Plan ahead, check the forecast, and make sure everyone in your group has the training and rescue equipment needed to enjoy the weekend and get home safely.”
Avalanches this weekend many break into deeper, buried weak layers, CAIC said.
"The most dangerous slopes are going to be those that received more than about six inches of storm snow," Lazar said. "So you're going to find deeper snow totals most places at near and above tree line elevations, although in some places, like up near the Park Range near Steamboat and in portions of the western Elk Mountains, that danger will extend below tree line because they picked up more snow. The most dangerous slopes face on the north and east sides of the compass, where we are now, bearing really fragile, weak layers with all this new storm snow."
CAIC provided the below video of an avalanche on Feb. 12, 2026 in the Raggeds Wilderness near Marble, Colorado.
Here is a breakdown of statewide conditions:
- The Park Range and Elkhead Mountains saw the most snow with this week's storm
- The central mountains will have dramatically different conditions where a foot of snow fell on weak faceted snow compared to where it landed on supportive crusts on southerly slopes. Southerly slopes should have safer conditions
- Summit County and the Gore Range saw very little snow, so the danger level there remains low and moderate (level 1 and 2 on the danger scale)
- The northern Front Range and Rocky Mountain National Park saw only about 4-8 inches of new snow, but could see an additional 4-8 inches on Friday evening
- The storm may "overproduce" snow over Winter Park, CAIC forecasts
- The storm wraps up Saturday morning in the southern mountains, so check local SNOWTELs for the final totals
- The Sangre de Cristos and La Garitas mountains did not pick up much snow and have shallow snowpack currently
Lazar said he understands that with this dry winter, there is a lot of excitement for snowstorms.
"We do want people to get out there and enjoy it, but do so safely, and just realize that this combination of a holiday weekend, fresh snowfall and a lot of pent-up demand gives us all the ingredients for an avalanche accident," he said. "So, we really want to get the word out that we can enjoy this snow by recreating in lower-angle terrain."
Backcountry travelers are urged to check the avalanche forecast frequently, adjust plans as conditions evolve and carry the necessary tools in case of an emergency, including a transceiver, probe and shovel.
