According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, the first natural avalanche of the 2019-2020 winter season has occurred in Colorado.

The avalanche occurred in the area of Independence Pass on October 24 as four inches of new snow dropped in the area. With the new snow, the area saw more than a foot of powder in less than a week. Additional snow is falling in the area with more on the way.

The avalanche was small, rated as an R1/D1, which basically means that the slide wasn’t destructive and was small relative to the path. An avalanche like this is generally not a threat to humans, though it can be if terrain factors come into play.

Another avalanche was reported on October 22. This was attributed to a GazEx test firing. Last year, the first avalanche was reported on October 12 with a number of reported slides in the following days.

As snow totals stack up in the Independence Pass area, the road has been closed for the season, earlier than the November 7 norm.

Visit Colorado Avalanche Information Center for additional information about avalanche incidents and risk levels around the state.