A snapshot of avalanche fatalities in North America and Europe for the 2022-2023 season: the numbers reflect longitudinal averages and a need for the continued good work from forecasters and educators.
Evidence of a significant slide in the Wasatch. Photo: Peter Vordenberg
Data in the case of avalanches dehumanizes. The lives lost, and the trauma endured is not captured in the emotionless numeracy. Often we reduce annual statistics to this many accidents and this many fatalities; while some were motorized users, most were silent sports participants at the time of their departure. These are the cold facts, the data.
In this avalanche data snapshot, there is much to glean and many voids. We often know little about personal and group decision-making frameworks without being there before and during an incident, experiencing it in real-time.
Reality gets messy in risky places like the mountains. Entering avalanche terrain involves uncertainties. And looking at data in hindsight can masquerade true insight. We might not find patterns or answers. Or not the patterns we expect or want to see: fewer fatalities overall, heads-up observations, and the ideal of egoless group dynamics.
Here are the general trends in North America and Europe regarding avalanche fatalities.
U.S.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) is a trove of good information. They are also kind enough to collect and make public relevant avalanche accident data.
According to the CAIC, 29 individuals died in avalanches this past season (2022-2023) in the U.S. Nine fatalities involved skiing, three snowboarders, eight snowmobilers, and eight snowshoers/climbers/hikers. For a quick comparison, there were 17 U.S. avalanche-related deaths in the 2021-2022 season: with five skiers and one snowboarder as part of the total. In contrast, the first COVID winter, 2020-2021, claimed 37 lives in the U.S.: 17 skiers, five snowboarders, nine snowmobilers, five snowshoers/climbers/hikers, and one categorized as other. “Over the last 10 winters, an average of 27 people died in avalanches each winter in the United States,” writes the CAIC.
In context, we see how this season compares. Writing this seems clinical and callous, but this season was average.
What remains unknown is the total number of winter backcountry users. In much of the country, state and federal agencies are understaffed and underfunded. “Crowding” and “use is up” become a function of how many users we see on the skintrack on a given day rather than sound longitudinal user surveys. (The Wasatch Backcountry Alliance has taken on a sweet initiative to assess trailhead use with infrared counters.)
All this is to say that 29 fatalities for this season, although average and still unacceptable, might reflect an overall decrease in per capita (skiers/splitboarders) avalanche-related fatalities considering reports in the mainstream media, bar room banter, and overall sales of backcountry gear. All that information tells us the number of backcountry skiers and snowboarders is up. Way up.
By state, Colorado accounts for 11 deaths in 2022-2023, Alaska (3), Washington (3), Utah (3), California (2), Idaho (2), Oregon (2), Wyoming (1), Nevada (1), and Montana (1). (This information is not disaggregated by activity.) Considering long-term trends, CAIC’s avalanche fatalities between 1950-51 and 2021-22 in the U.S. illustrate a lengthy and consistent uptick in overall fatalities with notable decreases from 1987-1991 and 2014-2019.
Canada
Up north, Avalanche Canada reports 15 avalanche fatalities for the past season; two deaths involve snow machines, with the remainder skier/snowboard related.
Considering the province, all the incidents cited above were in British Columbia except for two fatalities in Alberta and one in Newfoundland. Last season, in total, Canada experienced six avalanche fatalities. (According to Avalanche Canada’s 2022 Annual Report, 10 avalanche fatalities annually are average in Canada.)
In the same report, between 2013-2022, 44 deaths were attributed to snowmobiling, 26 to backcountry skiing, three to out-of-bounds skiing, 15 to snowshoeing and hiking, six to mountaineering, ten to guided skiing, and six designated as “other.”
During the same period, 84 fatalities were in British Columbia, 20 in Alberta, four in Quebec, and two in Newfoundland & Labrador, respectively.
Europe
Across the Atlantic, in Europe, where avalanche terrain is more accessible, avalanche fatalities stand at 100 for the season. By country, Austria had 15 deaths, France 25, Italy 24, Norway 7, Poland 3, Romania 1, Slovakia 4, and Switzerland 21.
The vast majority of these fatalities are categorized, by activity, as backcountry and off-piste skiing.
For reference, during the 21-22 European season, 70 avalanche fatalities were reported, a decrease from the 129 avalanche-related deaths reported in 20-21.
Avalanche fatalities in Europe 2022-2023. Screenshot from EAWS