Heavy winter snows pose a high risk for avalanches in mountain areas. On New Year's Eve, a large avalanche came down from Ajax Peak in Colorado, hitting the valley floor and covering the area in a lingering snow cloud. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center shared a video to its Instagram account showing the aftermath of the massive snowslide, which an observer captured.
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So far, for the 2022-23 season, there have been two avalanche-related fatalities in Colorado, and seven people have been caught up in avalanches. The entire area is under an avalanche warning as more storms roll in.
While the beginning of this avalanche wasn't caught on video, Telluride Ski Resort posted a 2019 video of a controlled avalanche to its YouTube account, showing the impressive snowslide coming down the same mountain.
According to the caption, there was over 20 feet of snowfall and an impressive amount of snowpack. So controlled avalanches were triggered on some of the peaks in Telluride, including Ajax. At the beginning of the video, you can see a small explosion go off before the snow starts rushing down the mountainside. The controlled avalanche was conducted on a clear day so onlookers could see the whole process clearly. From the audio, it sounds as if a large group of people gathered to watch and cheer the successful snow redistribution.
Why are controlled avalanches conducted? The main reason for setting off an avalanche on purpose is safety. Controlled avalanches are small and can prevent larger, more-destructive avalanches from occurring, especially where there is a great risk to people. It is common to hear charges going off if you live in or are visiting a mountain town or ski resort. Controlled avalanches also make ski runs a little bit safer for skiers and snowboarders.
