US Avalanche Fatality Statistics: 2024-2025
The graphs below illustrate the seasons fatalities and fatal incidents according to different criteria. The first set shows the season in the context of the most recent 10 years, the second set categorizes the seasons recreational fatalities by different parameters.
The graphs in this section for each season are used in our annual publications, when this years edition is final it will be available in our store or at Amazon.
We have archived 19 fatal incidents with 22 fatalities in the US for the 2024-25 season. Four incidents (6 fatalities) could be considered non-recreational (i.e. professional) snow avalanche accidents - one ski patrol, one heli-ski incident, one cat skiing incident, and one privately guided trip. We consider recreational incidents to be ones in which the non-professional parties were responsible for making their own risk management decisions and plans in the backcountry or "side country". Commercial operations and guiding could be called recreational but differ in that professionals are responsible for risk management on behalf of the clients.
The seasons archived incidents can be found in the database now, members have full-featured searching and the general public can execute searches with some limitations.
Cumulative Statistics - In the context of the most recent 10 seasons
Click on any graph for a larger version. |
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This graph shows the number of all avalanche incidents and fatalities for each of the past 10 seasons. The flat lines are the ten year averages. This year was just slightly below the ten year average, but close. |
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This graph shows the number of all recreational avalanche incidents and fatalities for each of the past 10 seasons. One ski patrol fatality, two heli and cat skiing incidents, and one professionally guided incident have been removed from this seasons data here. For the previous seasons similar incidents as well as roof avalanches and other non-rec incidents were removed. |
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This is a composite of the above two graphs. This shows more directly the difference between all incidents and recreational ones only. During the 2024-25 season there was one ski patrol incident, one heli-ski incident, one cat skiing incident, and one privately guided trip incident. |
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This graph shows the percentage of incidents in each state for the past 10 seasons (blue) and the 2024-25 season (red). This graph has all incidents included. |
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This graph also shows fatalities by state but as a number rather than percentage. Taking this perspective most states are not far from average. Clearly Colorado had unusually few fatalities, but Utah had noticeably more, compared to the ten year average. Oregon has had a couple incidents in each of the last few seasons despite having extremely few historically. This graph has all incidents included. |
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This graph shows the percentage of fatalities in each month for the past ten seasons (blue) and the 2024-25 season (red). This graph includes all incidents. January saw fewer than average fatalities and with the exception of one incident in June the fatal incidents ended by April. March had one incident with three fatalities (the heli-ski case). |
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This graph also shows the fatalities each month but not as a percentage. The blue bars are the average number of fatalities over ten years in that month. The percentage version can distort things a bit in some cases although this year the two graphs look similar. |
Graphs for Statistics of just the 2024-25 Season
Some of the below graphs include only "recreational" incidents, meaning those where the party directly took personal responsibility for their activities, their rescue abilities, and the outcomes. During this season all but four incidents fall into that category. One was a commercial heli-skiing incident and one was a cat skiing operation, where the operations are responsible for risk management. One was a professional ski patroller. And one was a professionally guided trip with a highly experienced guide. The total number of incidents is 19 and the total number of fatalities is 22 (or 15/16 recreational). |
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California had one ski patrol fatality, Alaska had one commercial heli-ski incident with three fatalities, Oregon had one commercial cat skiing fatality, and Utah had one professionally guided fatality. These incidents have been omitted here. |
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This graph includes all incidents, none are omitted. February had one incident with two fatalities and March had one (commerical) with three fatalities. |
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All incidents involved what could be called "traditional" avalanche risk activities. Minus climbing. Snow biking is a relatively new activity but can still be considered an activity with recognized avalanche risk. There were no snowshoers, hikers, x country skiers, etc (activities considered low risk in general for avalanches).
The "non-recreational" incidents are omitted in this graph. |
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Non-mechanized incidents and fatalities were significantly greater this season than mechanized ones, once again.
The four "non-recreational" incidents are omitted. Two of those were mechanized, two were on skis. |
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It is widely accepted (and perhaps established) that most fatal incidents (maybe most incidents in general) happen during Considerable danger. That was clearly the case this season. There were no advisories for one incident in Nevada and one on Denali.
The non-recreational incidents are not included here. Advisories with danger ratings are not intended for operational use by commerical/professional operations. |
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This chart shows incidents and fatalities by snow climate.
The commercial incidents are omitted - three were in maritime regions (CA, AK, OR) and the other was in Utah which is transitional. |
