The snowboarder was traveling in a backcountry area about 50 miles west of Denver when the avalanche struck around 9:30 a.m. local time (11 a.m. ET).
The avalanche ran on an east facing slope east of Mount Trelease at an elevation over 12,000 feet, the preliminary report from CAIC said.
Search and Rescue personnel found the victim buried in avalanche debris, according to CAIC.
About 50 miles north, a snowmobiler was caught and killed in a second avalanche west of Rollins Pass on Mount Epworth Sunday, CAIC reported.
The avalanche occurred on an east-facing, above tree line slope, burying the snowmobiler underneath his sled on Pumphouse Lake.
Colorado has seen six avalanche fatalities just this month for a total of ten this season, more than any other state according to the CAIC count.
In December, three backcountry skiers were killed in two separate avalanches a day a part.
Nikki Champion, a forecaster at the Utah Avalanche center told CNN earlier this month that the deadly season could be the result of two reasons — people enjoying more time outdoors and a “really dangerous snowpack.”
This year’s avalanche season has likely been more active because of a “persistent weak layer” of snow, she said.
CNN’s Keith Allen contributed to this report.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/15/us/colorado-snowboard-avalanche-death-trnd/index.html
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