Avalanche danger is rising across Colorado as the unusually warm weather impacts the state’s snowpack.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center warned in a news release on Thursday, March 19, that conditions will continue to worsen through the weekend as wet avalanche concerns increase due to the warm weather.

“The avalanche danger pattern this weekend is complicated, and you could change from dry winter conditions to wet spring conditions by changing to a different aspect or elevation band,” said the center’s director, Ethan Greene, in a statement.

In Colorado’s northern and central mountains, the avalanche forecast for Friday and Saturday rates the danger as considerable, or Level 3 of 5, according to the center. That means that human-triggered avalanches will be likely and slides could be big enough to bury, injure or kill a person.

With the warm temperatures, skiers and riders visiting the resort who are thinking about going out into the adjacent backcountry terrain should know that they need to manage their own avalanche safety, according to the release.

Throughout much of the state, a persistent slab avalanche problem remains, according to the forecast. The avalanche center describes persistent slab problems as “especially dangerous and tricky” because they are formed by a persistent weak layer buried in the snowpack that can break in “surprising and unpredictable ways.”

A large cornice forms on the west side of Independence Pass on March 17, 2026. Cornices like this could pose an avalanche risk as temperatures rise this weekend, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Colorado Avalanche Information Center/Courtesy photo

Due to the warm weather, backcountry travelers could also encounter wet slab and loose wet avalanches, according to the forecast. The avalanche center describes wet slab avalanches as slides that occur when snow that is moist or wet weakens the bond between two layers of snow. A loose wet avalanche is a slide of wet, unconsolidated snow or slush.

To avoid the most dangerous avalanche conditions, backcountry travelers should start early when temperatures are cooler and avoid steep slopes once the snow becomes wet, soft or unsupportable, according to the center.

Anyone heading into the backcountry should check the avalanche forecast at Colorado.gov/avalache before leaving, according to the news release. Backcountry experts also recommend carrying an avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel, and traveling with someone else who is carrying the same gear and is also trained to use it.

“Travelers looking for cooler snow on shaded slopes may still encounter dangerous weak layers, while those on sun-exposed slopes will see conditions deteriorate quickly as temperatures rise,” Greene said. “What feels manageable in the morning can become more dangerous by the afternoon.”