DENVER (AP) - A weak, sugary snowpack in the mountains is raising the avalanche danger in parts of the West, leaving slopes vulnerable to crumbling under the pressure of heavy snowstorms.
Avalanches killed three people in Colorado over the weekend, including two who were skiing at ski resorts. On Monday, an avalanche buried a man in Montana, but snowmobilers and skiers were able to quickly dig him out.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center has recorded eight avalanche deaths around the West so far this season, with four in Colorado, three along the Wyoming-Montana border and one in Utah.
Avalanche forecasters say a weak snowpack foundation is plaguing Colorado, Utah, Montana and California, which will likely keep avalanche risks high until spring.
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