AVALANCHE WATCH COLORADO AVALANCHE INFORMATION CENTER RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1109 AM MST SUN JAN 10 2010 THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE COLORADO AVALANCHE INFORMATION CENTER. ...SPECIAL ADVISORY STATEMENT ON AVALANCHE CONDITIONS IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS SAWATCH RANGE... THE COLORADO AVALANCHE INFORMATION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SPECIAL ADVISORY STATEMENT ON AVALANCHE CONDITIONS IN THE FLAT TOP, PARK, ELK HEAD, RABBIT EARS, FRONT, TENMILE, GORE RANGES AND SAWATCH RANGES... DANGEROUS AVALANCHE CONDITIONS CURRENTLY EXIST IN BACKCOUNTRY AREAS. A VERY WEAK SNOWPACK AND WEATHER CONDITIONS EARLIER THIS SEASON HAVE CREATED CONDITIONS WHERE NATURAL AVALANCHES ARE UNLIKELY, BUT HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES ARE PROBABLE. WITHIN THE LAST WEEK THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS NATURAL AND EXPLOSIVE TRIGGERED AVALANCHES, OVER 20 HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES, AND 3 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BURIED IN BACKCOUNTRY SLIDES. BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELERS SHOULD CHECK CURRENT AVALANCHE FORECASTS, CARRY AVALANCHE RESCUE EQUIPMENT, TRAVEL ONE AT A TIME IN AVALANCHE TERRAIN, AND AVOID STEEP WIND DRIFTED SLOPES. THIS STATEMENT IS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO PERSONS USING THE BACKCOUNTRY OUTSIDE DEVELOPED SKI AREA BOUNDARIES. WHEN NECESSARY SKI AREAS USE AVALANCHE CONTROL METHODS WITHIN THEIR BOUNDARIES. FOR ADDITIONAL AVALANCHE INFORMATION...CALL...970-482-0457 IN FORT COLLINS...719-520-0020 IN COLORADO SPRINGS...970-668-0600 IN SUMMIT COUNTY...719-395-4994 IN BUENA VISTA...970-247-8187 IN DURANGO...970-920-1664 IN ASPEN...303-275-5360 IN DENVER. OR VISIT OUR WEB PAGE AT WWW.COLORADO.GOV/AVALANCHE LOGAN COLORADO AVALANCHE INFORMATION CENTER 2009-10 WATCH 3-3 $$