The backcountry steeps of the South San Juan Mountains surrounding Durango are ideal for avalanches. Anyone heading into the backcountry around Durango should understand the risks, and be well educated in Avalanche safety. You should have the proper gear and training to not only survive an avalanche, but hopefully avoid getting caught in an avalanche in the first place.
If you don’t fall into the ‘ready’ category, you can still enjoy our local ski resorts, sledding hills or some gentle cross country skiing or snowshoeing.
The following Durango Avalanche report is published daily by the awesome folks at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center where you can find a full report for Southern Colorado, as well as the other avalanche zones of Colorado.
Sat, Apr 30, 2022 at 6:11 AM | Saturday | Sunday | |||
| Low (1) Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features. | Low (1) Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features. | ||||
| Low (1) Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features. | Low (1) Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features. | ||||
| Low (1) Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features. | Low (1) Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features. | ||||
Danger Scale
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Summary
The chance of triggering a wet snow avalanche increases during the day as temperatures warm and are most concerning on steep, rocky slopes with about 8 inches of wet snow. Breezy afternoon wind may limit wet snow problems at upper elevations, but pay attention to rollerball activity as clues the surface is getting wet and losing cohesion. You can gauge how quickly conditions deteriorate by stepping onto the snow surface and assessing how deep you sink. Most slides will remain small, but a long-running isolated slide could gouge deeper, making a more significant pile at the bottom and be a challenge to escape. Start early and finish early to help avoid wet snow issues.
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On May 1, we will switch to Regional Backcountry Avalanche Forecasts. We will issue a single danger rating and written forecasts for Colorado's Northern Mountains, Central Mountains, and Southern Mountains. We will publish these products every day by 4:30 PM through May.
 | N S E W NW NE SE SW Above Treeline Near Treeline Below Treeline | Certain Very Likely Likely Possible Unlikely | Historic Very Large Large Small |
| Avalanche Character | Aspect/Elevation | Likelihood | Size |
What You Need to Know About These Avalanches
Loose Wet avalanches occur when water is running through the snowpack, and release at or below the trigger point. Avoid very steep slopes and terrain traps such as cliffs, gullies, or tree wells. Exit avalanche terrain when you see pinwheels, roller balls, a slushy surface, or during rain-on-snow events.
| Saturday Night | Sunday | Sunday Night | |
| Temperature (ºF) | 32 to 37 | 40 to 45 | 31 to 36 |
| Wind Speed (mph) | 7 to 17 | 9 to 19 | 6 to 16 |
| Wind Direction | SSW | SSW | SW |
| Sky Cover | Mostly Cloudy | Mostly Cloudy | Mostly Cloudy |
| Snow (in) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Archived Forecasts
- Select Forecast: Valid
