Forest Service: Avalanche Season Already A Bad One

The U.S. is roughly mid way through an active avalanche season.

"It's a bad avalanche season nationwide. In fact, in the last 10 days, we have had more record recreational fatalities than ever before than in the 100 years of our database," noted Simon Trautman is a national avalanche specialist with the Forest Service. "And so you know between January 30th and February 8th, 16 people were killed in avalanches in seven states."

The overall number of avalanche deaths for season so far is 22, which with months to go, is already approaching the national seasonal average of 28. 

"The reason we're having all of these accidents, the primary reason is that the large scale weather pattern early in the season led to mainly drier conditions throughout the west or many parts of the west.," Trautman said.

Drier snow, he added makes an unstable foundation for heavier snow that is later dumped on top of it.

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