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It's time for a mid-season update on avalanche fatalities to date. In these updates we primarily focus on how the season compares to past seasons, going back ten years. At the end of the season a more comprehensive review can be prepared which looks at the reasons behind these incidents and what things, in general, could be done better or not overlooked. Our comprehensive review of last season is now available. Members can read a free online flipbook version or request a free Kindle version to be sent to their device. Non-members may purchase a print or Kindle version on Amazon.

This season has been a good one so far, with the number of fatal avalanche incidents well below the ten year average. There have been 5 such incidents, with the average being 10.78. All of these have been in continental/transitional snowpack climates with 3 in Colorado.



The Role of Snowpack

This season was supposed to be the third La Nina in a row, which some reports claimed would make it less typical than other such years. Which turned out to be true. The previous two seasons had very thin snowpacks all season long, with avalanches breaking on buried layers often at or near the ground. Most of this year's fatalities occurred early in the season when this was still true, with the most recent being January 9 just as the situation was changing.

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