BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) is known for giving mountain travelers a heads-up when there's a high risk of avalanches.
But now, CAIC is warning the public of a danger that could happen anywhere there's snow.
They're called roof avalanches, and they can happen anytime there's been a big snowstorm like the one the state experienced last week.
A recent incident in Breckenridge served as a perfect example of the danger of roof avalanches. Breckenridge Police said two teens were pulling icicles from the side of a house on Monday when snow slid off the roof and trapped them. One of them was airlifted to the hospital.
CAIC Director Ethan Greene said they received several roof avalanche reports over the past week, but there was one factor that made this incident more dangerous.
"This one that happened in Breckenridge involved really consolidated snow and icicles that had formed along the edge of the roof. You can just imagine how dangerous it is when a big chunk of ice falls off the top of a building."
If you have snow on your roof, CAIC encourages you to be aware of any potential problems and avoid walking underneath places where it may slide off.
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