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Two factors may explain the rise in avalanche deaths in U.S.

On Saturday, police in Salt Lake City responded to a call about an avalanche in Millcreek Canyon that had trapped two groups of skiers. According to the Unified Police Department of Salt Lake City. One group of four skiers were able to dig themselves out, but four others died from the impact.

The statistics take into account avalanche deaths in Utah and Colorado, as well as in Montana, California, New Hampshire, and Alaska over the past 21 days. It has been over 100 years since the U.S. has seen this many deaths due to avalanches is a short period of time. In March of 1910, an avalanche in Wellington, Washington, killed 96 people.

“A 60-year-old man was killed in Montana’s Swan Range while he was snowboarding on Saturday. A 41-year-old man died while skiing Thursday in Colorado’s East Vail Chutes. A 35-year-old man died skiing in the mountains of Siskiyou County, California on Wednesday. Three men in their forties and fifties died hiking near Bear Mountain in Alaska on Tuesday.”


“Three men died while backcountry skiing in an area known as the Nose in Colorado, and a 54-year-old man died skiing in New Hampshire on Monday. Last Sunday, rescuers recovered the body of 57-year-old Kurt Damschroder from Park City, Utah,” per BuzzFeed News.

Explaining the spike in fatal accidents during a pandemic
Let’s talk about the first factor playing a role in avalanche deaths. One factor is the coronavirus pandemic. Being shut in and restricted from traveling has led to an increase in people getting outside to hike, ski, snowboard, or ride snowmobiles in their local areas.

Simon Trautman, an expert with the National Avalanche Center, told BuzzFeed News he believes the pandemic is “playing a role in this accident cluster.”

“In the past seven days, we have had 15 avalanche fatalities in the US and many close calls that could have resulted in more deaths and serious injuries,” he said while pointing out that all those who had died had been well prepared and had the right equipment for the snow conditions.


However, Sgt. Melody Cutler, with the Unified Police Department, told reporters the avalanche risk in Millcreek Canyon was high Saturday in the area, and no one should have been in the backcountry, according to the Weather Channel.

“I’m not sure if it’s the thrill or what it is, but it is really important to pay attention to those things,” she said. “There have been advisories out recently of very high avalanche danger. That exists. … This is a very unfortunate circumstance … and it actually happened and resulted in lives being lost.”

“People can’t go to movie theaters, they can’t go to bars, they can’t do other things. And of course, we have the restrictions at the ski areas,” said Jeff Sparhawk, president of the Colorado Search and Rescue Association. “So all of this has pushed people into the backcountry. People need to get out, people need to decompress and enjoy themselves.”

There is a second factor to consider
And more people getting out, merely because they are going stir-crazy staying isolated and limited on travel, leads us to the other factor that is at play – a warming climate.


Karl Birkeland of the US Forest Service tells CBS that climate change is playing a role in all this by making avalanches harder to predict.

And while most of us associate avalanches with large amounts of fresh snow, heavy snowfall actually builds a stronger snowpack. This past winter, the U.S. has had a weak snowpack. For example, early snowfall in October was followed by a long period of dry, cold weather in November.

“People get confused a little bit about just the fact that we’re below average for snowfall in a lot of the state,” said Ethan Greene, the director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. “A lot of times that thin snowpack actually leads to a trickier, weaker snowpack that makes it easier to trigger avalanches.”

Trautman advises people who are eager to do outdoor winter activities, like skiing or snowboarding, to assess conditions in their area. “Current avalanche information, rescue gear, and training are all essential for safe trips to the backcountry.”

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We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

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