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A high voltage powerline tower was mangled by an April 30 avalanche in Peru Creek, Colorado. Click for more photos. PHOTO COURTESY THE COLORADO AVALANCHE INFORMATION CENTER.
Big snowpack, rapid warmup could trigger major avalanche cycle
By Bob Berwyn
SUMMIT COUNTY — Powerful avalanches recently tore through 100-year-old trees near Peru Creek and toppled high-voltage powerline towers that were built in the 1970s, and forecasters with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center warn that more large slides are possible during the next few days and weeks.
The super-size snowpack in Colorado’s northern and central mountains could threaten recreational backcountry travelers as well government and private industry workers in the field, said CAIC director Ethan Greene, explaining workers clearing county roads, railroad and utility workers, as well as backcountry skiers and snowmobilers all could be at risk. Click here to see the latest CAIC discussion on weather and snowpack.
The forecaster center isn’t predicting specific slides for specific areas. Instead, Greene said the forecasters wanted to give a gentle heads-up about a spring avalanche scenario that’s unprecedented in recent years. Green said there are also areas near mountain communities where homes and other structures could be threatened. (more…)
Filed under: avalanches, Breckenridge town council, climate and weather, Colorado, La Niña, Snow and weather, Summit County news, Summit County snow and weather | Tagged: avalanche danger, backcountry skiing, Colorado Avalanche Information Center, Colorado news, snow and avalanches, snowpack, spring avalanches in Colorado, Summit County News, weather, wet snow slides | 2 Comments »
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