DENVER (AP) — Backcountry outdoor enthusiasts are being warned to be careful this holiday weekend because the avalanche danger is high.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center on Friday issued a warning remains in effect through the President’s Day weekend after the state recorded its sixth death of the season.

Six people die in avalanches in an average year in Colorado and there are still several months left to go in avalanche season.

The latest death occurred on Thursday when a backcountry skier died in an avalanche on Wolf Creek Pass. The unidentified victim was a first-year ski patroller at Keystone Ski Resort.

The state says that, since 1950, avalanches have killed more people in Colorado than any other state. Colorado accounts for about a third of avalanche deaths nationally.

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