Getting your player ready...
Avalanche conditions have increased significantly in the past few weeks to the point where backcountry skiers and snowshoers need to take extreme caution, officials warn.
More than 500 slides were recorded in the past week, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. A backcountry skier from Aspen was killed in a slide Tuesday.
Ethan Greene, CAIC director, said it is one of most active periods in a decade.
The problem comes because recent storms have packed heavy snow on top of a weak snowpack. Between 20 and 50 inches of snow have fallen since Feb. 18.
Some of the most dangerous areas are around Aspen, Vail/Summit County and in the San Juans in southwestern Colorado.
