DENVER (KDVR) — Dangerous avalanche conditions are expected in Colorado’s northern mountains when a snowstorm moves in this week.

A winter storm is moving into the state on Tuesday, with northern Colorado expected to get most of the impacts, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. While the slow-moving, low-pressure system creates some uncertainty about the timing, snow is expected.

The Park Range is expected to get more than 20 inches of snow, and “very dangerous” avalanche conditions are expected there and in the Elk Mountains, the CAIC said. Areas around Cameron Pass and Rocky Mountain National Park will see nearly a foot and a half of snow, the CAIC said. Areas around Interstate 70 may see 8-10 inches.

‘Difficult to escape’ avalanches possible

Strong winds will accompany this new round of snow, which will build dense slabs on last week’s surface snow that can be “difficult to escape,” according to the CAIC.

This includes areas around Rocky Mountain National Park and the Indian Peaks Wilderness. In shallower areas near Berthoud Pass, Loveland Pass and the Tenmile Range, avalanches could be triggered around the shallower parts of a slope, the CAIC warned.

“The biggest problem in these areas is that many people can ride a slope without incident before a deeper failure occurs,” the CAIC said. “Travelers may not see any classic signs of instability before an avalanche occurs. Continue to carefully evaluate each slope you intend to ride and only expose one person at a time to avalanche terrain.”

Mountain visitors are urged to check the avalanche forecast before heading out on the slopes.

Where to see weather alerts

If a winter alert is issued for your area, whether it is a blizzard watch or warning, winter weather advisory or winter storm warning, it will always show up at the top of the FOX31 website. View all weather alerts here.

The Pinpoint Weather team will continue to update the forecast multiple times each day.