News and Updates

We can predict the type of avalanche more confidently than our exact chance of triggering one. This idea underpins the "Avalanche Problem" concept, which outlines nine avalanche problem types used...

Understanding Avalanche Elevation Bands

Avalanches can happen at any elevation, depending on weather and snowpack conditions. Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) forecasters use the terms "Below Treeline," "Near Treeline," and "Above Treeline" to describe...

Plumes of snow or flagging on the ridgeline indicate snow is being blown from the left to the right side of the picture. The wind is drifting snow onto all the slopes in this picture.

Why Wind Matters: Understanding How Wind Impacts Avalanche Conditions

Bob Dylan might not have been thinking about avalanches when he sang “the answer is blowin’ in the wind,” but for anyone traveling in avalanche terrain, that lyric rings true. Wind...