Safety tips: What conditions trigger avalanches?

It’s winter season, and snow has fallen across many of the mountains across the United States. Most deaths due to avalanches occur in Colorado the following the rest of the mountains across the west, including Alaska. But there have been deaths reported in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, Colorado has the most deaths due to avalanches. From the 1950-1951 season through the 2019-2020 season, avalanches have taken the lives of 293 people in Colorado. In Alaska, 161 people died, in the same period, because of avalanches.

There could be “weaker” snow, especially when with a warmer-than-usual fall and early winter. There are times, like in 2020 and 2021 when there was some snow across the Rockies in the fall, but not much. This was followed by a prolonged period of drought and warm temperatures. This prolonged dry period has caused a very weak layer of snow. During the dry period, there were warmer temperatures and rain, which destabilized the snow. Wind also plays a huge factor in transferring snow to weak areas. When this is followed by large amounts of snow, there is a bigger risk for the bottom layer to be weak and the threat of avalanches grows.

If you are skiing or snowboarding it is best to always follow the paths set out by officials. Make sure to get local information about the conditions of the terrain. If there is an avalanche watch or warning it is put out by the local information center. Also, previous’ seasons plans to avoid avalanches might not work this season. It is best to stay skiing or snowboarding on slopes less than 30 degrees steep that is not connected to steeper terrain.