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2025 Archive Index - All Editions

Fatal avalanche in Val Thorens, France

April 17 - A series of avalanches have struck the ski resort of Val Thorens in the French Alps this Thursday, killing one pedestrian and prompting the closure of the ski area due to the extreme avalanche risk. According to local authorities, a person was buried under a snow slide at 10am and was found in cardiac arrest. The incident occurred on the road at the entrance to the ski resort which was closed at the time. Alerted by an eye witness the man was recovered by local police. The victim was been evacuated to  Grenoble hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

The prefecture of Savoie confirmed that four avalanches occurred during the morning — two in Val Thorens and two in the neighboring resort of Les Menuires. All were triggered by exceptionally heavy snowfall in the region over the past few days, described as an “extreme weather-snowfall event” by meteorological and avalanche experts. The avalanche risk in Val Thorens was raised to level 5 out of 5 at 6am today — the highest possible rating — with very large spontaneous avalanches observed earlier. As a result, the entire ski area has been closed, with a progressive reopening planned for April 18 depending on weather and safety assessments by the SETAM (ski lift management company).
More ... (PisteHors)

Great St. Bernard pass closed due to avalanche damage

An avalanche caused the closure of the Great St. Bernard pass between Switzerland and Italy on Thursday. The avalanche damaged the Toules tunnel. During the heavy snowfall that affected the entire southern canton of Valais, an avalanche was triggered in the Toules gallery (snowshed) on the A21 Grand-St-Bernard motorway, which is located in front of the entrance to the Grand-St-Bernard tunnel. Boulders and trees swept down by the avalanche damaged the gallery (snowshed) over a length of around 300 metres.
Source ... (SwissInfo)

Avalanche survivor flooded with support

TRUCKEE, Calif. – A Truckee resident is focusing on the positives after an avalanche earlier this month left him facing a startling reality, unable to feel or move his legs in the moments directly following an incident in Tahoe’s backcountry. “This could be life changing in like a really really big way,” Rylan Cordova had thought, contemplating modifications to his house, whether he could still do his job, how to live and whether he’d be forced to find new hobbies. “Like what trajectory is this going to take me?” It was a question he continued to ponder while growing gradually colder, laying in the snow on the west shore of Lake Tahoe where the incident occurred on April 2.
More ... (Sierra Sun)