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, Nov 27, 2021 at 6:34 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
If traveling on steep, northerly-facing slopes above treeline, keep a heads up for areas that harbor wind-drifted slabs over weak, faceted snow. Smooth, rounded pillows of snow help identify deepest drifts and where you could trigger a small slide. This stiff over soft combination commonly forms below ridgetops, near rocky outcrops and in concave features. Avoid these areas and you can avoid avalanches.
Going for a ride in a small avalanche can lead to an unfortunate outcome due to thin and variable snow cover. Stick to lower-angled terrain or slopes with limited to no snow cover for safer travel options.
| Saturday Night | Sunday | Sunday Night | |
| Temperature (ºF) | 21 to 26 | 40 to 45 | 25 to 30 |
| Wind Speed (mph) | 4 to 14 | 3 to 13 | 3 to 13 |
| Wind Direction | WSW | W | NW |
| Sky Cover | Clear | Clear | Clear |
| Snow (in) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Archived Forecasts
- Select Forecast: Valid
