Industry News
According to a Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) report, on Monday, March 18, a roof avalanche partially buried two teenagers at a Breckenridge, Colorado home. The incident occurred while the teens were playing outside and pulling icicles from the side of the house when snow slid off the roof. One of them was seriously injured and had to be airlifted to the hospital.
Although not a concern in the backcountry, roof avalanches are a problem every year in mountain communities and can be just as serious as avalanches in the mountains. They can lead to burial, asphyxiation, or traumatic injuries. The CAIC issued a public warning about roof avalanches after several were reported during the week after the recent snowstorm the state experienced.
In the last 30 years, Colorado has seen five roof avalanche fatalities. The most recent occurred in March 2023 in Durango, Colorado when a father and two children were buried in a slide. One of the children did not survive.
It is critical to remain vigilant to the dangers of roof avalanches. Snowstorms and accumulated snow on roofs should always be a concern for residents. It is wise to minimize or eliminate the amount of time you spend below snow-loaded roofs and have a shovel on hand to locate anyone who may be caught in one. Shoveling roofs early to reduce the snow load and potential consequences of larger roof avalanches is also advised.
Roof avalanches often occur during or after a large snowstorm or when there is rapid warming following a big storm. The warming can come from any one or a combination of factors such as:
- Rain on snow
- Air temperatures rising above freezing
- Intense sun after a period of cloudy weather
- Heating systems warming roofs from the inside
See the video below by CAIC of a roof avalanche in Crested Butte, Colorado.
