Colorado avalanche officials warn of a dangerous Presidents’ Day weekend in the backcountry, aligning with historic trends in the state.

The long weekend is expected to bring the highest levels of avalanche danger Colorado has seen so far in February, a news release from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said.

Presidents’ Day weekend is historically the most dangerous period of the season, bringing an influx of avalanche accidents each year, the CAIC release said. Over the last decade, 10 avalanche accidents have killed 13 people around the holiday weekend.

This year’s snowpack is at an historic low, but the avalanche danger is considerable across the Northern and Central mountains. New snow Friday night is expected to increase avalanche risk in the Southern mountains, the CAIC release said.

The CAIC assigns avalanche danger ratings using the North American Public Avalanche Danger Scale, ranging from low, or level one, to extreme, or level five. Considerable is level three.

Places where the most snow falls on Thursday and Friday will likely be the most dangerous on Saturday and Sunday.

CAIC officials urged backcountry travelers to check the avalanche forecast frequently and be ready to adjust plans as conditions change.

Over Presidents’ Day weekend, from Friday through Monday, in 2025, 377 avalanches across the state were reported in the CAIC system.

More information about the daily avalanche forecast can be found on the CAIC website.