DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche Information Center is cautioning backcountry travelers to tread carefully across Colorado mountains on New Year’s Day and throughout the weekend amid “dangerous” avalanche conditions.

“We’re less likely to see heavy snowfall the rest of the week, but we are still very worried about an avalanche accident,” said avalanche center Director Ethan Greene in a news release. “The big storms hit us over the weekend and left us with some very dangerous avalanche conditions. The danger is less obvious than what people are used to.

“We’re seeing people trigger avalanches from low-angle terrain and the bottom of avalanche paths,” Greene said. “Some slides have been triggered from over 1,000 feet away.”

Experts warned that people can trigger avalanches from low-angle terrain below steep adjacent slopes. Normal routes may not be safe , CAIC said.

The center has issued a Special Avalanche Advisory through Wednesday afternoon, meaning recreationists should be aware that dangerous avalanche conditions require heightened awareness and precautions.

On Tuesday, the center said a “very large” avalanche was reported on Mount Trelease, near the Loveland Ski Area. The slide was triggered remotely by skiers from low-angle terrain, with at least three people in the area.

“Fortunately, no one was caught, but it was a stark reminder of the dangers,” the center said in a news release.

In 2021, a snowboarder was caught and killed in an avalanche on that same slope, the center said.

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