Good Morning, Colorado, and welcome to the Daily Sun-Up with The Colorado Sun. It’s Tuesday February 9th, and we’re feeling lucky to start the day with you. Join us daily for an in-depth look at one of our top stories. 

Today -  A final Colorado Avalanche Information Center report released Sunday provides details on the deadliest Colorado avalanche since 2013. According to the center's director, this is not a normal year.

Before we begin, let’s take a look at what happened on this day in Colorado history - adapted from Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

Today, we take you back to February 9th, 1878 when John W ILLIFF passed away in Denver. He was the so-called Cattle King of Colorado. Now, there’s a town in Logan County that bears his name.  

According to Ethan Greene, the director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, this is not a normal year. Greene estimates the increased avalanche danger this season is maybe a 1 in 10 occurrence. So, for a skier who has spent 20 years in the Colorado backcountry, this is likely the second time to see this level of widespread avalanche hazard. 

The Center’s report on the deadliest avalanche in the state since 2013 that killed three men near Ophir Pass on February 1st  noted that communication challenges and a “terrain trap” were contributing factors.

A skier, who was buried, but survived the avalanche that killed three of his friends described the torrent of snow that engulfed him like “a river.”

Today, Colorado Sun reporter Jason Blevins is here to talk about what we’ve seen this season so far, and why.

Ethan Greene and his team have been working hard this season, which, as Jason mentioned, has seen eight people buried and killed in Colorado avalanches, with more winter to come. 

He said that this is the year to keep things mellow, and it’s frustrating for them. What they are not doing does not seem to be enough, even though they have been doing everything that they normally do and more. 

Thanks for listening. Before we go here are a few stories you should know about today:

- Leadership political action committees for ten current and former Colorado members of congress raised $3 million during the 2020 election cycle, according to a Colorado Sun analysis. 70% of that money was raised and spent through PACs for former Republican senator Cory Gardner and his opponent, Democrat John Hickenlooper. Leadership PACs have higher donation limits, and some watchdog groups consider the PACs as slush funds.

- Roughly two dozen unemployed Coloradans gathered downtown Monday to demonstrate their frustration with the state’s labor department. Many who are eligible for the newest round of federal benefits will still have to wait until February 22, even if their previous benefits have run out. The state has referenced programming a new computer system as one reason for the long rollout period.

- Jeffco Public Schools is looking to unify their reading curriculum to fall back in compliance with state rules. The district is still deciding which of three options to go with, instead of the current patchwork of curricula that vary from school to school. The switch will likely be $8 to $16 million dollars, or about 1 to 2 percent of the district’s budget, but board members say the price tag is worth it.

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. Now, a quick message from our editor.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, and welcome to the Daily Sun-Up with The Colorado Sun. It&rsquo;s Tuesday February 9th, and we&rsquo;re feeling lucky to start the day with you. Join us daily for an in-depth look at one of our top stories.&nbsp;
Today -&nbsp; A final Colorado Avalanche Information Center report released Sunday provides details on the deadliest Colorado avalanche since 2013. According to the center's director, this is not a normal year.
Before we begin, let&rsquo;s take a look at what happened on this day in Colorado history - adapted from Derek R Everett&rsquo;s book &ldquo;Colorado Day by Day&rdquo;:
Today, we take you back to February 9th, 1878 when John W ILLIFF passed away in Denver. He was the so-called Cattle King of Colorado. Now, there&rsquo;s a town in Logan County that bears his name.&nbsp;&nbsp;
According to Ethan Greene, the director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, this is not a normal year. Greene estimates the increased avalanche danger this season is maybe a 1 in 10 occurrence. So, for a skier who has spent 20 years in the Colorado backcountry, this is likely the second time to see this level of widespread avalanche hazard.&nbsp;
The Center&rsquo;s report on the deadliest avalanche in the state since 2013 that killed three men near Ophir Pass on February 1st&nbsp; noted that communication challenges and a &ldquo;terrain trap&rdquo; were contributing factors.
A skier, who was buried, but survived the avalanche that killed three of his friends described the torrent of snow that engulfed him like &ldquo;a river.&rdquo;
Today, Colorado Sun reporter Jason Blevins is here to talk about what we&rsquo;ve seen this season so far, and why.
Ethan Greene and his team have been working hard this season, which, as Jason mentioned, has seen eight people buried and killed in Colorado avalanches, with more winter to come.&nbsp;
He said that this is the year to keep things mellow, and it&rsquo;s frustrating for them. What they are not doing does not seem to be enough, even though they have been doing everything that they normally do and more.&nbsp;
Thanks for listening. Before we go here are a few stories you should know about today:
- Leadership political action committees for ten current and former Colorado members of congress raised $3 million during the 2020 election cycle, according to a Colorado Sun analysis. 70% of that money was raised and spent through PACs for former Republican senator Cory Gardner and his opponent, Democrat John Hickenlooper. Leadership PACs have higher donation limits, and some watchdog groups consider the PACs as slush funds.
- Roughly two dozen unemployed Coloradans gathered downtown Monday to demonstrate their frustration with the state&rsquo;s labor department. Many who are eligible for the newest round of federal benefits will still have to wait until February 22, even if their previous benefits have run out. The state has referenced programming a new computer system as one reason for the long rollout period.
- Jeffco Public Schools is looking to unify their reading curriculum to fall back in compliance with state rules. The district is still deciding which of three options to go with, instead of the current patchwork of curricula that vary from school to school. The switch will likely be $8 to $16 million dollars, or about 1 to 2 percent of the district&rsquo;s budget, but board members say the price tag is worth it.
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website,<a href="http://www.coloradosun.com/"> www.coloradosun.com</a>. Now, a quick message from our editor.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Welcome to The Colorado Sun's daily podcast, The Daily Sun-Up. Every day we’re sharing an in-depth look at one of our top stories, followed by a quick summary of important things happening in our state. For more visit us at https://coloradosun.com/.

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