Avalanche risk is already present in Colorado despite the lack of early season snow. According to a user-submitted report to the Colorado Avalanche Center a skier was caught in a human-caused avalanche burial on Monday near Marble, Colorado.
Nearly 40% of the people caught in an avalanche last season had taken a traditional style formal Level 1 avalanche class. About 70% had intermediate or advanced avalanche training. This mirrors previous research.
The high pressure over Utah is finally breaking down and snow showers are expected this weekend. While that’s good news for the ski resorts, the conditions in the backcountry will become dangerous – even deadly conditions could exist.
The extreme avalanche situation in East Tyrol was made clear by an avalanche on Saturday evening in Prägraten am Großvenediger. Four houses and one vehicle were damaged. People were not injured. There were other snow avalanches with individual damaged buildings.
An avalanche accident killed one skier in Switzerland. Authorities in the Swiss canton of Nidwalden said one off-piste skier among a group of five people was killed after getting caught in an avalanche Monday in the Titlis area, south of Lucerne. Rescue teams were not able to resuscitate the 23-year-old Swiss citizen after he was rescued.
Several communities in the Austrian Alps put mass coronavirus testing on hold Sunday. Others were urged to do the same after a storm dumped huge amounts of snow, sending some avalanche warnings to their highest level.
A potential issue has been identified with the switches on Black Diamond/PIEPS DSP Pro and DSP Sport models of avalanche transceivers. Owners and users of these devices are encouraged to follow the manufacturers guidance and check that they are operating correctly.
Two backcountry snowboarders who allegedly triggered a snow avalanche near the Eisenhower Tunnel last March are now responding with a first-of-its-kind court motion.
Evan Hannibal and Tyler DeWitt are being charged with a single misdemeanor count of reckless endangerment and are being ordered to pay $168,000 in restitution. However, the pair is claiming the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) violated their Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights.
Avalanche Canada is reporting considerable snow avalanche risk in the alpine in the East Kootenay.
A snow avalanche on the Manali-Atal tunnel highway beyond Solang valley blocked the highway for nearly one hour on Sunday evening. Border Roads Organisation (BRO) cleared the avalanche debris, after which the highway was opened. Fortunately, there was no vehicular movement when the avalanche hit the highway.