Avalanche experts are urging people to stay alert after two backcountry skiers were killed in an avalanche in Oregon this week.
The incident happened in an area west of Bend on Monday.
Experts are warning Washingtonians that there is avalanche risk in our region as well.
Forecasters monitor and constantly adjust avalanche forecasts in our area. These are forecasts you should be checking before heading out in the snow.
“Just like you would check the weather before you would go out for a hike or go to go ski, you should make it a habit if you’re going to play in the snow in the winter to also check that avalanche forecast,” said Dallas Glass, Deputy Director Avalanche Forecaster at the Northwest Avalanche Center.
You can check our local forecast here.
Forecasters use a one to five scale to gauge risk. On Wednesday, much of our region was listed in level three, which means there is considerable avalanche danger. It means that anyone heading out on snow-covered covered mountains should conduct careful snowpack evaluation, perform cautious route-finding and make conservative decisions.
“When you add really steep mountains and a lot of snow together, you oftentimes get a lot of avalanches, and we do see that often,” Glass said.
Data from the Northwest Avalanche Center shows somewhere between two and three people die each year in Washington from avalanches.
Experts say our risk goes up during big storms and could rise in the coming days as we enter a storm track.
To stay safe, ensure you’re carrying the right gear.
Everyone in your group should have an avalanche transceiver (or beacon), an avalanche probe and an avalanche shovel.
“If you’re buried in an avalanche and you don’t have that gear, it is literally the proverbial needle in a haystack,” Glass said.
There are also avalanche courses you can take to better your awareness and preparation.
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