Photo: Colorado Avalanche Information Center
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) reported the state’s first recorded skier-triggered avalanche of the new season on Friday, October 24. The avalanche occurred following an overnight storm that brought close to 10 inches of snow to the Treasury Mountain area.
“We went to look at how the snow was settling up high,” a CAIC incident report said. “Before the storm there was a melt freeze crust of about 8 cm thick. This layer was pencil hard and, there was Facets just underneath it ranging from 1-2 mm in size.”
According to Snowbrains, the first human-triggered avalanche of the 2024-2025 season happened around the same date on October 24. It’s a reminder of the specific threats early-season storms pose.
“During fall, we typically see longer periods between storms than we do mid-winter. These gaps, combined with cold temperatures and shallow snowpack, create the perfect recipe for a weak layer to form,” Snowbrains wrote earlier this month.
CAIC officials doubled down on that sentiment, reminding the public that the moderate snow levels shouldn’t be overlooked as harmless.
“This setup reminds us that even small early-season slides can happen on steep slopes where you find ~10 inches or more of consistent snow.”
