Sign up to receive this in your email
(No more than once daily, often less depending on the amount of new news.)

2026 Archive Index - All Editions

In This Edition:

Planned Avalanche Turns To Panic on Elbrus (video)

Mount Elbrus stands as Russia and Europe’s highest mountain at more than 18,500 feet. While it's a popular destination for skiers, resorts have had to close slopes because of the high avalanche danger. A controlled snow release designed to lessen that risk, sent people running, as a wall of snow descended on them engulfing the parking area and skiers in a cloud of powder.
Source ... (Weather)

French avalanches the weekend of Jan 10 - A review

After a long period of calm conditions in France last weekend saw a series of avalanche which killed 6 off piste skiers and left others injured. We thought we'd analyse these events to see if there are lessons for the remainder of the season and debunk some of the myths we've seen on social media.

Before the weekend of the 10-11th January the last significant snow was in early December. This left a thin snowpack and anticyclonic conditions. The cold, clear weather, especially leading up to the 9th when temperatures plunged, left a strong temperature gradient in the snow-pack. Surface temperatures were frequently -10 to -20C below zero with the ground at around 0C. This created a layer of hoar crystals, sometimes the entire snow-pack was comprised of these crystals which made for nice skiing in what the American's call "loud powder" due to the noise it makes as you ski through. The avalanche bulletins across the Alps have been warning about these persistent weak layers for weeks. We spoke about the problem throughout November and again on Thursday the 8th January right before last weekend's incidents. The truth certainly was out there.
Source ... (PisteHors)

Avalanche Danger in Europe Remains at Elevated

Jan 16 - Dangerous avalanche conditions continue in the European Alps, with national avalanche institutes warning that the winter idyll remains deceptive and that the risk to skiers, freeriders, and ski tourers is still unacceptably high. In Switzerland the SLF is urging renewed caution as the avalanche situation remains critical, particularly in the canton Valais/Wallis. According to the SLF, danger level 3 (“considerable”) persists across many regions and represents the most dangerous scenario for off-piste users: around 65% of all fatal avalanche accidents occur at this level.

The SLF reports that the snowpack contains persistent weak layers, which remain poorly bonded. These layers create a fragile structure. Similar warnings are being issued in Germany, the avalanche warning service has declared considerable avalanche danger above 1,600 meters (5,249 feet), particularly in snow-rich regions such as the eastern Allgäu Alps and areas near the Austrian border. National avalanche institutes stress that conditions are not expected to improve significantly in the immediate term and may even deteriorate locally.

Since the beginning of the year, rescue services in Valais have already responded to around 20 avalanche-related incidents. Over the past week alone, numerous avalanches—often large—were triggered by ski tourers and freeriders, many with fatal consequences. In France, six people died last weekend and more have died during the start of this week. In Switzerland, one person died on the weekend, Olympic snowboarder Ueli Kestenholz, and another died on Thursday, January 15, in Chamoson. In Andorra, a resort employee was buried in an avalanche while servicing resort infrastructure. Thankfully, he was successfully resuscitated. In Austria, several people died over the last few days, the latest avalanche death occurred today in Ischgl.
Source ... (SnowBrains)

Avalanche shuts down Thompson Pass, AK

Jan 16 - DOT officials announced an avalanche forced the closure of the Richardson Highway through Thompson Pass, shutting down the road from Milepost 12–46. The closure includes the entire pass canyon area after a natural avalanche impacted the roadway on the north side of the canyon. Maintenance crews are conducting roadway sweeps to ensure no travelers remain within the closure area, according to DOT. Both closure gates are staffed as crews continue to assess conditions and remove debris from the roadway. No timeline was announced for the reopening of the Thompson Pass section of the highway.
Source ... (KTUU)

Juneau storms this winter have historical company

As monumental as 2025-2026 winter has been to residents, more than a century ago the winter of 1918 also overwhelmed Juneau. Historical photos show Front, Seward and Franklin streets mounded with snow. Without today’s heavy equipment and snowplows, Juneau’s streets were almost impassable.

In 1962, Mount Juneau’s wide avalanche path rumbled with snow that cascaded down the slope, stopping just short of homes in the Behrends Avenue area. Witness accounts at the time described damage being caused by the strong wind generated by the avalanche as the snow crashed down the mountain. It blasted out windows, dumped snow inside some homes and knocked one of the houses off its foundation. Two roofs were blown off houses. Twelve homes received damage. One person suffered minor injuries.

An avalanche that strongly affected all of Juneau occurred far from town in April of 2008. A 1.5-mile-wide swath of mountainside was swept clean of its vegetation when an avalanche destroyed transmission towers carrying Juneau’s electricity from its hydroelectric generating plant at Snettisham, located in an inlet about 40 miles south of Juneau. For 45 days the city ran on expensive backup diesel generators while repairs were made. Eventually huge ship-prow-shaped diversion structures were built above new transmission towers to protect them from future avalanches.

Juneau’s reputation as an avalanche-prone city has prompted officials to seek professional answers to making key areas safer. Results are available in various documents available on the city’s website. The studies prepare simulations, but with the caveat that predicting avalanches is uncertain. The studies are richly illustrated with slide area maps and photographs.

A Swiss firm stated in its 2011 report noted there are “28 residences in a severe hazard zone” and “12 houses in a special engineering zone” including “one hotel, the access road to Juneau and a big boat harbor.” At the time the city did not regularly issue evacuation notices, however officials have done so in recent years including 2026 when an evacuation site was set up in Centennial Hall.
More ... (Juneau Independent)