Colorado Department of Transportation plans avalanche mitigation operations on Colorado Highway 145 at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Traffic will be stopped at various locations between Rico and Trout Lake, and motorists will encounter periodic closures throughout the morning, said CDOT spokeswoman Lisa Schwantes in a news release Monday.

The news release also urged backcountry users and recreationists to “watch where you park.”

Anyone who leaves an unattended vehicle on the side of the road, runs the risk of breaking the law, being fined and having their vehicle towed. Crews will then clear the shoulders of the roadway and parking areas as time and resources permit, the news release said.

Backcountry users also were urged to check avalanche conditions at the CAIC website, www.avalanche.state.co.us.

A backcountry skier died in an avalanche Friday afternoon near Cameron Pass, bordering Jackson and Larimer counties on Colorado’s Front Range.

The death appeared to be the first reported avalanche fatality of the 2021-22 winter season in Colorado.

The avalanche occurred in an area with “considerable,” or Level 3, risk of avalanche. CAIC rates risk on five levels of danger, from “low” to “extreme.”

An avalanche warning was in effect Monday for the southern San Juan Mountains. The area’s risk level was Level 4, or “high.”