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Sierra Avalanche Kills 8 Skiers: Deadliest in 45 Years
19 Feb
Summary
- Eight skiers died in a Sierra Nevada avalanche, one remains missing.
- The avalanche is the deadliest in the US in 45 years.
- Experts debate the direct link between the avalanche and climate change.
A catastrophic avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada mountains has claimed the lives of eight backcountry skiers, with one person still unaccounted for and six others successfully rescued. This incident has become the deadliest avalanche in the United States in 45 years.
The dangerous conditions arose after several feet of new snow fell onto an older, hardened snow layer, creating an unstable surface. Meteorologists explained that this "storm slab" did not bond properly with the weaker layer beneath, making it prone to sliding.
While the immediate trigger for this specific avalanche remains unconfirmed by authorities, experts note that inconsistent snowfall patterns, potentially influenced by the climate crisis, contribute to such unstable snowpack conditions. Scientists highlighted that the warm weather in the western US has led to record-low snowpack this season, with precipitation increasingly falling as rain instead of snow.
