An avalanche in central Colorado on Saturday resulted in one fatality, adding to a growing number of deadly incidents across the western U.S. this winter. The slide, triggered by a skier in the steep terrain of “The Fingers” above Berthoud Pass, was one of two reported avalanches in Grand County that day.
While others caught in a separate slide escaped unharmed, the latest tragedy marks Colorado’s third death this season and the second in just one week.
Avalanches have claimed multiple lives across the West in recent weeks. On Feb. 20, a snowboarder in Crested Butte was killed near Silverton, and on Feb. 17, three people perished—one near Lake Tahoe and two backcountry skiers in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains. Earlier this month, a renowned outdoor guide lost his life in a Utah avalanche.
California also suffered a fatal avalanche when Mammoth Mountain ski patrol member Claire Murphy succumbed to injuries from a Feb. 14 slide. She and a fellow patroller were caught while conducting avalanche mitigation after a major storm dumped six feet of snow over 36 hours in the Sierra Nevada.
According to the National Avalanche Center, avalanches claim 25 to 30 lives in the U.S. each year. Current forecasts show considerable avalanche risks in parts of Colorado, Utah, and Idaho, with active warnings in Washington and Montana.
In response to the increasing dangers, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office is urging backcountry adventurers to check daily avalanche forecasts and carry essential safety equipment before heading into the mountains.
