TAOS COUNTY, N.M. – When you combine snow accumulation with high winds, an avalanche could form. While Taos is not under an avalanche warning Sunday, it’s good to be prepared.

Taos Ski Valley officials explained they have a snow safety team that uses technology to help control snowpack, which can help prevent an avalanche from forming.

“Ski in pairs, never go alone. That’s your first rule,” said Tommy Murray, a Taos Ski Valley director of mountain maintenance. 

More snow in the forecast is every skier and snowboarders dream. But when you combine snow accumulation with high winds, it could make for some dangerous conditions.

“It just really depends on snowpack. We have some of the best teams in the business here, our ski patrol and our snow safety team,” said Murray. 

Murray explained they have technology that helps control the snowpack.

“That’s an automated system for avalanche control. So up on Cucina Peak, we have five gas tech systems that set off explosions, surface explosions. So we do mitigate on a daily basis, you know, we’re constantly checking snowpack throughout the day, and that’s what our snow safety team is all about,” Murray said. 

Taos Ski Valley also has several avalanche dogs. They can help find someone if they’re trapped in the snow.

“They’re a great resource, you know, they constantly do training with these dogs, almost every day. We get the dogs out, they’ll bury a backpack, you know, and they’ll have the dogs find it,” Murray said. “You can find somebody a lot quicker with a dog, their scent is amazing. When some of the ski patrol explain it to me, their dogs’ sense of smell is 3,000 times what the humans is.”

As for skiers and snowboarders, Murray emphasized not going alone and having the right tools with you.

“Always carrying an avalanche shovel and a beacon and a probe. I would never go into the backcountry without those four items that I just listed,” said Murray.

Murray also suggests taking an avalanche course if you plan on skiing or snowboarding in the backcountry.

He also said to take a look at taosavalanchecenter.org. It’s a website updated daily with how high the avalanche risk is. On Sunday, the risk was “considerable.”