Avalanche Impacts
Avalanche fatalities have been on the increase in the last 20 years due to the rising number of climbers, skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobiliers in the backcountry.
On average, about 150 people worldwide die annually, with 30 of those deaths in the United States and 14 in Canada.
Avalanche forecast centers throughout the world play a significant role in keeping those numbers from growing much further. Warnings and avalanche danger ratings are issued by professional avalanche forecasters on a daily basis for an increasing number of mountainous locations around the world.
Avalanche danger ratings:
- Extreme (5): Avoid all avalanche terrain
- High (4): Very dangerous avalanche conditions; do not travel in avalanche terrain
- Considerable (3): Dangerous avalanche conditions; evaluate snowpack and plot routes very carefully and be conservative when making decisions
- Moderate (2): Avalanche conditions are heightened in specific types of terrain; evaluate terrain and snow carefully and identify features of concern
- Low (1): Avalanche conditions are generally safe but look out for unstable snow on isolated terrain features
Avalanches also impact highways and railroads and have caused millions of dollars of damage to buildings and other structures. More diligent planning, improved mitigation techniques, and better forecasting have also helped limit property damage in recent years.