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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
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22 People Died In Avalanches This Year—Here's What Happened
According to Dullin, McQuinn & Young, an average of 22.5 Americans die from avalanche-related causes each the Winter of 24/25, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) recorded 22 avalanche-related fatalities. These accidents included backcountry skiers and snowboarders, snowmobilers, snowbikers, and a ski first fatality occurred on December 15, 2024 and the most recent occurred on March 22, 2025. Avalanche fatalities occurred in the following states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and reading for a short summary of each avalanche fatality in chronological order. was used as the primary resource for this to keep up with the best stories and photos in skiing? Subscribe to the new Powder To The People newsletter for weekly updates. Number of Persons Involved: 2Fatalities: 1User Type: SnowbikerTrigger: Unintentional releaseSize: D2Details: An avalanche broke under a hard wind slab that was triggered by the riders descending a steep slope. The avalanche broke 2-3 feet deep and 240 feet wide. It ran 120 vertical feet. Both riders were caught and carried. Rider 1 did not Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 4Fatalities: 1User Type: Snow bikersTrigger: Unintentional releaseSize: D2Details: An avalanche released above Riders 1 and 2 during a snow bike outing in the Ruby Mountains. The avalanche was "several feet deep" and approximately 90 feet wide. Confusion around proper avalanche beacon usage delayed the Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 1Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski TourerTrigger: UnknownSize: D2Details: A solo skier was found days after the accident when his dog was found by fellow backcountry skiers. Avalanche danger was HIGH across the state of Utah and the skier was recreating alone. Since the incident wasn't observed, little is known about its cause. The Utah Avalanche Center believes a soft slab failed on a persistent weak layer. The debris was 1-2 feet deep and 70 feet Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 1Fatalities: 1User Type: SplitboarderTrigger: UnknownSize: D2Details: A solo splitboarder was buried 20 feet deep by a large avalanche. The victim was recreating alone and details related to the trigger cause are scarce. The avalanche was 300 feet wide and ran for 400 vertical feet down the slope. Full Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 4Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski TourerTrigger: RemoteSize: D2Details: A group of four triggered a large avalanche that carried two skiers and killed one. The avalanche was remotely triggered from below due to a persistent weak layer. The avalanche crown propagated 350 feet uphill and spread 400 feet across. Debris ranged from one to four feet thick. One skier did not survive his Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 1Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski TourerTrigger: UnintentionalSize: D2Details: Skier 1 was recreating by himself and missed a check-in with his spouse on the day of the accident. The spouse notified the Ouray County Sheriff and snowshoed to the slope the skier intended to ski. After spotting avalanche debris, the spouse initiated a transceiver search and located a signal. Skier 1 was caught, buried, and killed by an avalanche that was 45 feet wide and ran for 122 vertical Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 2Fatalities: 1User Type: SnowmobilersTrigger: SnowmobileSize: D2Details: Two snowmobilers were recreating near Powder Mountain, Utah when a large avalanche was released on a wind slab. One of the two riders was caught, buried, and killed by the slide. Neither snowmobiler was carrying an avalanche beacon. An avalanche rescue dog from Power Mountain assisted in locating the victim's Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 2Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski tourersTrigger: UnintentionalSize: N/ADetails: A ski guide and his client were caught in a large avalanche in Little Cottonwood Canyon. The client is believed to have triggered the avalanche after following the guide's instructions to follow him down a 35-40 degree slope. The client was badly injured in the slide but survived. The guide was caught, buried, and killed by the slide. The avalanche was a soft slab that was roughly 2 feet Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 2Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski patrolTrigger: N/ASize: N/ADetails: Two ski patrollers were conducting avalanche mitigation at Mammoth Mountain following a storm that dumped six feet of snow in 36 hours. Both patrollers were buried by the slide. One was uninjured. The other passed away from her Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 2Fatalities: 2User Type: Ski tourersTrigger: UnknownSize: D2Details: Two skiers were buried and killed by a Size 2 storm slab. There were no witnesses to the slide, but experts believe the pair triggered the avalanche while skinning uphill. Authorities were alerted by friends and neighbors to conduct a search and rescue effort after the pair did not return Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 1Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski tourerTrigger: UnknownSize: N/ADetails: A solo skier was caught, buried, and killed by a persistent slab avalanche that he triggered near South Lake Tahoe. The skier was carrying all of the recommend avalanche safety gear, but did not manage to deploy his airbag. He was found buried under 4.5 feet of avalanche debris by friends. The slide ran for 650 vertical feet and had two crowns. Slope angles ranged from 38 to 40 Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 2Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski tourersTrigger: UnintentionalSize: 2.5Details: Two skiers were staying at a backcountry hut near Ophir Pass. Skier 1 was a 40-year-old male. Rider 2 was a 41-year-old female. The pair elected to ascend and ski a steeper slope after taking safer laps on lower terrain. Skier 1 triggered an avalanche almost immediately after descending the slope. He was able to escape to the skier's right but Rider 2 was caught, buried, and killed. The avalanche was a soft slab with a crown that was 2-3 feet deep and spread up to 1,300 feet wide. It ran 1,400 vertical Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 1Fatalities: 1User Type: Pow SurferTrigger: UnintentionalSize: 2.5Details: A lone pow surfer (snowboarding without bindings) was recreating by himself bear Berthoud Pass. The rider is believed to have triggered a large avalanche above trees and rocks. It carried him 400 vertical feet and was approximately 550 feet wide. Debris were measured to be over seven feet Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 3Fatalities: 1User Type: SnowmobilersTrigger: SnowmobileSize: 2.5Details: Three riders triggered a large slab avalanche while riding the same slope. Two riders were caught and carried. One rider was full buried and killed. The final rider was partially buried and injured. Details are sparse at this time about the full Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 3Fatalities: 3User Type: Heli-SkiersTrigger: N/ASize: N/ADetails: Three clients from a Girdwood, Alaska based heli ski operation were caught, buried, and killed by a massive avalanche during a guided tour. The skiers were buried by 40-100 feet of avalanche debris. Their bodies were unable to be recovered due to the depth of the Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 1Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski tourerTrigger: UnintentionalSize: N/ADetails: A solo skier was reported missing after not returning home from his planned ski tour route. The overdue skier was found the day following the incident due to hazardous weather conditions that prevented Search & Rescue teams from reaching the area. The avalanche was 150 feet wide and ran 1,000 vertical Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 13Fatalities: 1User Type: Backcountry guided cat skiingTrigger: SkierSize: D2Details: A commercially-guided cat skiing operation of three guides and 10 guests were involved in a D2 storm slab on a steep slope. It is believed that the 7th rider to descend the slope triggered the slide. The avalanche was two feet deep, 200 feet wide, and ran for 700 vertical feet. Five of the six riders who had previously descended the slope were caught by the slide. One was completely buried and killed. Full Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 1Fatalities: 1User Type: SnowmobilerTrigger: Snowmobile/UnintentionalSize: D3Details: A lone snowmobiler triggered an avalanche in a popular zone. The rider was caught, buried, and killed by the avalanche. Other snowmobilers responded quickly, but the rider was deceased. The avalanche crown was two to three feet deep and 500 feet wide. The rider was buried by more than 10 feet of debris. The avalanche failed on layer of deep surface Accident Summary: Here Avalanche deaths happen every season. Learning from them is a valuable practice for backcountry skiers, snowboarder, and snowmobilers to decrease their likelihood of being involved in a similar the 22 avalanche deaths that occurred in the United States this year, seven of the victims were recreating alone. Please consider always traveling in the backcountry with a friend, knowing before you go, and pack the gear— beacon, shovel, probe.22 People Died In Avalanches This Year—Here's What Happened first appeared on Powder on Jun 6, 2025
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Avalanche buries and kills snowmobiler, traps another, Washington officials say
An avalanche triggered by snowmobilers swept away two people, killing one, Washington officials reported. The avalanche took place at Harts Pass on Friday, Feb. 28, the Northwest Avalanche Center said in a preliminary report. Two snowmobilers were caught in the slab avalanche, which buried and killed one of them, the center said. The other snowmobiler was partly buried and injured, the center said. An investigation with local avalanche professionals continues. Harts Pass is about a 270-mile drive northeast from Seattle. Avalanches happen quickly and catch people by surprise. They can move between 60 and 80 mph and typically happen on slopes of 30-45 degrees, according to experts. Skiers, snowmobilers and hikers can set off an avalanche when a layer of snow collapses and starts to slide down the slope. In the U.S., avalanches are most common from December to April, but they can happen at any time if the conditions are right, National Geographic reported. At least 15 people in the U.S. have died in avalanches this season as of March 2, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. People heading into snow should always check the local avalanche forecast at officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, and have an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel ready. 'Emergency services are usually too far away from the scene of an avalanche, and time is important,' Simon Trautman, a national avalanche specialist, said. 'A person trapped under the snow may not have more than 20 or 30 minutes. So, in a backcountry scenario, you are your own rescue party.' If an avalanche breaks out, it's best to move diagonal to the avalanche to an edge, Trautman said. 'Try to orient your feet downhill so that your lower body, not your head, takes most of the impact,' officials said. 'You may also get into a tight ball as another way to protect your head.' Snowmobiler trapped with child calls for help with a dying phone, MT rescuers say Snowmobiler plunges into deep canyon and triggers avalanche, Washington rescuers say Avalanche buries and kills backcountry snowboarder, Colorado officials say
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Avalanche buries and kills snowmobiler, traps another, Washington officials say
An avalanche triggered by snowmobilers swept away two people, killing one, Washington officials reported. The avalanche took place at Harts Pass on Friday, Feb. 28, the Northwest Avalanche Center said in a preliminary report. Two snowmobilers were caught in the slab avalanche, which buried and killed one of them, the center said. The other snowmobiler was partly buried and injured, the center said. An investigation with local avalanche professionals continues. Harts Pass is about a 270-mile drive northeast from Seattle. Avalanches happen quickly and catch people by surprise. They can move between 60 and 80 mph and typically happen on slopes of 30-45 degrees, according to experts. Skiers, snowmobilers and hikers can set off an avalanche when a layer of snow collapses and starts to slide down the slope. In the U.S., avalanches are most common from December to April, but they can happen at any time if the conditions are right, National Geographic reported. At least 15 people in the U.S. have died in avalanches this season as of March 2, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. People heading into snow should always check the local avalanche forecast at officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, and have an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel ready. 'Emergency services are usually too far away from the scene of an avalanche, and time is important,' Simon Trautman, a national avalanche specialist, said. 'A person trapped under the snow may not have more than 20 or 30 minutes. So, in a backcountry scenario, you are your own rescue party.' If an avalanche breaks out, it's best to move diagonal to the avalanche to an edge, Trautman said. 'Try to orient your feet downhill so that your lower body, not your head, takes most of the impact,' officials said. 'You may also get into a tight ball as another way to protect your head.' Snowmobiler trapped with child calls for help with a dying phone, MT rescuers say Snowmobiler plunges into deep canyon and triggers avalanche, Washington rescuers say Avalanche buries and kills backcountry snowboarder, Colorado officials say
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Snowmobiler plunges into deep canyon and triggers avalanche, Washington rescuers say
A snowmobiler plunged into a deep canyon, triggering an avalanche on a Washington mountain, rescuers said. The snowmobiler was riding with other people on Feb. 17 when two of them got stuck in deep snow on Mount Saint Helens, rescuers said. They decided to go home once freeing themselves because it started getting foggy on the mountain, the Volcano Rescue Team said in a Feb. 21 Facebook post. The two riders then accidentally drove off a cornice, an overhanging piece of snow, and plunged 20 to 30 feet into a deep canyon, the rescue team said. Rescuers said the first rider went over the ledge and triggered an avalanche that traveled 300 feet down the mountain. He wasn't able to deploy his avalanche airbag, but he 'used a swimming motion with his arms to stay near the surface' of the debris, rescuers said. This rider ended up pinned to his snowmobile. The second snowmobiler followed over the ledge and hit hard snowpack, causing significant injuries to his leg, rescuers said. The third snowmobiler dug out the rider caught in the avalanche and helped the injured rider before calling for help, rescuers said. A team responded to the mountain and used a rope system to get the snowmobiler with the injured leg down the gully so he could get to a hospital. The avalanche risk that day was ranked as 'considerable,' or level three out of five, the rescue team said. At this level, 'avalanche conditions are considered dangerous and careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding, and conservative decision making are essential,' according to Mount Saint Helens is in Skamania County in southwest Washington. Avalanche buries and kills backcountry snowboarder, Colorado officials say Ski patroller swept away by avalanche dies of her injuries, California resort says Friends search for overdue 'expert' skiers and find bodies buried in Oregon avalanche
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Experts give tips for avalanche safety following tragedy in the Oregon Cascades
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Seven people in Oregon and 23 people in Washington have died of avalanches in the last 10 years, . Although avalanches can be sudden and unpredictable, 90% of avalanche incidents are triggered by people, according to the National Weather Service. Because avalanches are often caused by humans, there are some precautions people can take to avoid getting caught in the potentially deadly flows of snow, ice and debris. Bend couple identified as victims of Central Oregon avalanche Dallas Glass, the Deputy Director and Avalanche Forecaster for the Northwest Avalanche Center, told KOIN 6 there are two main keys to avoiding avalanches: Checking the forecast and receiving proper training before heading into avalanche zones. Avalanche centers around the U.S. issue daily avalanche forecasts. These forecasts specify what regions are at risk of avalanches and how likely they are to occur. The avalanche warning scale has five tiers: Low, Moderate, Considerable, High and Extreme. 'Each one of these levels of danger is significantly more dangerous than the one before it,' Glass said. Avalanche danger was at Level 3 (Considerable) in Oregon's central Cascades when a Bend couple was tragically killed in an avalanche on Feb. 17, east of Broken Top. Historically, the highest number of avalanche deaths have occurred when conditions are at the Level 3 stage, when avalanche hazards are less obvious, states. 'Under [Level 3] danger, natural avalanches are possible and human-triggered slides are likely,' the website reads. 'Avalanche conditions are considered dangerous and careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding, and conservative decision making are essential. Small avalanches can occur in many areas, large avalanches in specific areas, and very large avalanches in isolated areas.' Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Emergency Services Manager Nathan Garibay told KOIN 6 News that telling people where you're going and what time you'll be back is also an important part of avalanche safety. 'I would say, in this case, the couple did everything right,' Garibay said. '[People] noticed that they were missing … people knew what general area they were going to be in. Unfortunately, that didn't change the outcome of this tragic situation.' Strong atmospheric river to impact Portland area this weekend Another important step for avoiding avalanche danger is education, Glass said. offers free 90-minute avalanche training classes through Zoom and in person. NWAC also offers . 'One: Get the forecast. Two: get the training,' Glass said. '… Free 90-minute classes are a great way to start.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
