Dr. Ethan Greene – Director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center

“Why Did The USA Just Have Its Deadliest Avalanche Cycle in History?”

Episode #15 of The SnowBrains Podcast

This podcast is gonna be a little different.

The USA just went through its deadliest avalanche cycle in history, with 16 avalanche fatalities in only 10-days from January 30th, 2021, to February 8th, 2021.

I think it’s really affected all of us in our community.

My guest is Dr. Ethan Greene, the director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center who is here to talk us through what’s happening in the Colorado snowpack right now and why we see so many multi-victim avalanches in the USA.

Sadly, since Dr. Ethan Greene and I recorded this podcast on February 11th, 2021, 8 more people have died in avalanches in the USA, bringing the total to 25 avalanche deaths in only 22-days in the USA – by far the deadliest avalanche cycle in US recreational history. 3 of these latest avalanches deaths occurred on Valentine’s day, February 14th, 2021. Two of the Valentine’s day avalanche fatalities were in Colorado. Then there was one avalanche death per day for 4 days right up until February 20th, when there were 2 avalanche deaths. There was one avalanche death on each of these days: February 16th, February 17th, February 18th, February 19th, and then 2 avalanche deaths on February 20th, bringing the total to 25 avalanche deaths in only 22-days. We have now lost 31 lives to avalanches in the USA in the 2020/2021 winter season, and it’s only February 22nd. The USA averages 27 avalanche fatalities per season.

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