Alaskan Snowmobiler Killed in Avalanche Over the Weekend; 7th Avalanche Fatality of the Season Cooper Landing, Alaska: Over the weekend a deadly avalanche claimed the life of 29-year-old Tyler Kloss. Reports from the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center (CNFAIC) indicate the avalanche was triggered by snowmobiles. Kloss was from Soldotna, Alaska. This marks the 7th avalanche fatality of the 2016-2017 season. Details on the accident: On Saturday, January 28, Tyler Kloss and his friend, […] Avalanche Robin Azer | January 31, 2017 3 Comments
2014-2015 Winter Results in 137 Avalanche Fatalities The 2014-2015 season was a relatively deadly season worldwide when it comes to avalanche deaths. 137 avalanche related deaths were recorded worldwide this year and that is a 40% increase compared to the long-year average. Although this season was a deadly one, the U.S. had only 11 deaths which is relatively low compared to the typical 26 avalanche related deaths. […] Conditions Report Chris Wallner | October 15, 2015 1 Comment
Avalanche Deaths DOWN 60% for USA in 2014/15: The USA has averaged 28 avalanche fatalities per year over the past 10 winters. This winter, there have only been 11 avalanche fatalities. That is an enormous drop in avalanche deaths. That’s 60% less avalanche deaths this year than the annual average. “Over the last 10 winters an average of 28 people died in avalanches every year in the United States.” – Colorado Avalanche Information Center The first question we all ask is: Why were there so many less avalanche deaths in 2014/15? The answer is fairly obvious: There wasn’t much snow in 2014/15. […] Avalanche SnowBrains | May 29, 2015 2 Comments
Colorado Supreme Court Rules on In-Bound Avalanche Liability When skiing in-bounds, you probably aren’t thinking about the potential of a deadly avalanche – resorts take care of that, right? But in a single day in 2012, two men died in avalanches IN BOUNDS on open trails in Colorado. Taft Conlin from Eagle County, only 13-years old, died in a snowslide on the Prima Cornice trail at Vail. Christopher Norris, a 28-year old father of two, was buried in a slide within the ski area at Winter Park. Both tragic deaths spurred lawsuits, and the Colorado […] Avalanche ameliatraynor | March 23, 2015 3 Comments
“Winter of Terror” (1950-51): 265 Avalanche Deaths in the Alps In the winter of 1950-51, a previously unrecorded number of avalanches rocked the Swiss-Austrian Alps, killing over 265 people in the span of three months. Coined the “Winter of Terror”, this series of 649 avalanches destroyed over 900 buildings and thousands of acres of forests. This period is thought to be a result of atypical weather conditions in the Alps: high precipitation due to the meeting of an Atlantic warm front, with a polar cold front resulted in 10-15 ft of snowfall in a two-to-three-day period. Over 40,000 people were buried under snow over the 1950-51 season. Avalanche ameliatraynor | February 18, 2015 8 Comments
75 Avalanche Deaths in Europe This Winter As of February 10th, 2015, Europe has already seen 75 avalanche deaths this winter. 68 of those deaths have occurred in the Alps. 75 avalanche deaths is a lot. In 2011/12, Europe saw 68 deaths all winter. In 2013/14, Europe saw 80 avy deaths all winter. In 2010/11, Europe saw 83 avy deaths all winter. We’re at 75 with many months of avalanche season left in Europe (avalanches kill many climbers in summer in the Alps). This year could end up with a devastating number of avalanches potentially worse than 2012/14 when Europe had 107 avalanche deaths. Europe is generally at around 30 to 40 […] Avalanche SnowBrains | February 16, 2015 3 Comments
UPDATE: US Ski Teamers Who Died in Avalanche Did Not Have Avalanche Beacons Two US Ski Team Development athletes were killed in an avalanche in Soelden, Austria on Monday, January 3rd, 2015. Ronnie Berlack, 20, from Franconia, New Hampshire and Bryce Astle, 19, of Sandy, Utah. The two were freeskiing with 4 other skiers when the avalanche struck. They were skiing down the extremely steep north face of the […] Avalanche SnowBrains | January 7, 2015 5 Comments
Avalanche & Snowstorm Kills At Least 22 Hikers in Nepal A severe snowstorm and avalanche has killed at least 17 hikers in Nepal and many more are potentially missing. The unseasonal snowstorm was caused by the enormous category-4 cyclone Hud-Hud that impacted Eastern India and slammed in the southern slopes of the Himalaya. These hikers died on Tuesday while traveling along the iconic 21-day Annapurna Circuit trek. “We do not know how many are missing, but there is a possibility that there are people missing.” – Shrestha, the army […] Avalanche SnowBrains | October 15, 2014 1 Comment