Steamboat Ski Resort Observes Recording-Breaking Avalanche Over Weekend

This Colorado ski resort experienced its largest avalanche in history, and it happened inside the groomed boundaries.

Workers with the Colorado Department of Transportation dropped explosives onto slide paths along Independence Pass outside Aspen to trigger avalanches before they could hit a passing driver. / Trevor Hughes/USA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Steamboat Ski Resort, located in Steamboat, Colo., observed an avalanche that made the history books. For the last 60 years, no avalanche on record grew to be as large as this one.

As Colorado skiers are no stranger to avalanche sightings, this particular slide should raise even the most experienced skier's eyebrows. This avalanche was within the bounds of the ski resort's mapped trails, and had a crown that measured 1,000 feet wide.

Many people believe that the groomed trails on a mountain are immune to such shifts, however this latest occurrence proves that snow safety is important on all sides of the mountain. Backcountry skiers and snowboarders should be well-versed in avalanche protocol and safety measures.

Steamboat Ski Patrol captured video of the avalanche; providing a real-time example of the benefits of following mountain procedures. They urged all participants to obey the signs that indicated a trail closure. The resort was closed at the time of the avalanche, so no casualties occurred. The avalanche prompting numerous closures throughout the resort, however, as ski patrol works to ensure the safety of all visitors.

The shift occurred near the summit of Mt. Werner, a mountain that reaches 10,570 feet. Many expert and advanced-rated trails were closed as a result. The snow swept across the following runs: Crow Track, The Ridge, Chute 1 and Chute 2.

The voice of ski patroller Matt Hartsel can be heard in the video warning riders to respect the closures as they worked to make these runs safe. Hartsel also confirmed that the avalanche was prompted through natural causes; a direct result of over two feet of snowfall that had occurred the night before. This storm piled onto a weak layer of early-season snow that was unable to withstand the dense powder.

A few days after the avalanche, the Steamboat Ski Patrol detonated explosives to ensure that all of the loose sheets of snow had been swept away by the initial shift. No additional sheets gave way, indicating that the surface is no longer unstable.

Even though no additional movement occurred, the affected area, known as the "Christmas Tree Bowl", does not have an official opening date, according to Hartsel. Other reports indicate that this area is normally delayed due to its terrain and location.

Further information on the avalanche can be found from the report filed by Hartsel with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC).