Avalanche season (the snowy kind...not the NHL team)

[spup1122]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/01/14/montana.avalanche.ap/index.html

Avalanches have killed at least 17 people across the West since November 12. The national annual average for avalanche deaths is about 25.

Seems like we've had quite a few already. Such a sad story.

 

[JR]

And ten in British Columbia to date. Scary stuff.
Part--but not all-- of the problem is snowboards and skiers going into "permanently closed" areas.

 

[Flash]

The latest one was inside the boundaries of Big White, though.

It's the crazy winter we're having out here ... well, you're having it, too, JR ... a dump of snow, a warm up, a freeze, a dump of snow ...

It creates cake-like layers of ice, snow and ice, creating the 'perfect' conditions for avalanches.

 

[MileHigh]

Lots and lots of snow in the mountains out here this winter (hardly any in the city). Interstate 70 has been closed a few times through the state to set off avalanches.
There are LOTS of avalanches in the southwest part of Colorado, near Silverton, which seldom gets cut off from the rest of the world because avalanches cover U.S. 550.

Here's a Q and A with a longtime avalanche forecaster.

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_7891572