Dear Editor,

Although an avalanche can occur whenever there is snow and a slope to slide on, avalanches most often occur between the months of December and April. It is important for visitors to be equipped with the current avalanche forecast, the proper avalanche rescue equipment, and avalanche training.

Each year, millions of avalanches sweep down mountains across the United States. While most occur naturally and well away from people, sometimes winter sports enthusiasts trigger, get caught, and are killed by avalanches. There have already been 21 fatalities during this 2020-2021 season, which is high compared to the 2019-2020 season total of 23.

With several months remaining in the peak avalanche season, visitors should exercise increased caution when traveling into the backcountry. Visitors can mitigate their avalanche risk by doing the following:

Get the Forecast – access the latest avalanche forecast for your area at avalanche.org.  Professional avalanche forecasts provide daily snow and weather observations and highlight the level of risk in an area on a scale from 1-Low, to 5-Extreme.

Get the Gear – Another critical component of avalanche safety is having the appropriate gear. There are three essential pieces of gear: an avalanche beacon, a probe, and a shovel. Additional gear such as avalanche airbag packs are available from many knowledgeable retailers.

Get the Training – Find an avalanche course provider at avalanche.org, and get trained in avalanche awareness and rescue. Start your training online by watching the Know Before You Go safety video at www.kbyg.org.

To learn more about avalanches and safety please visit avalanche.org.

Donna Nemeth
U.S. Forest Service