Deadly Winter Season in Colorado

In part due to higher skier visits as a result of a banner 2022/23 winter ski season in Colorado, the state has experienced another deadly winter with 17 deaths inside ski resorts and 11 deaths caused by avalanches. The record snowpack has caused avalanche deaths to reach a near-record high and is tied for the second-highest number of avalanche deaths since records began in 1951.



Of the eleven avalanche deaths this past season seven were skiers and riders and three were snowmobilers, and one was a residential avalanche. Overall in the US, there were a total of 24 deaths this year due to avalanches. Colorado saw 11 of these deaths or almost 50%.

Since the 2006-07 winter season there have been 137 skiers deaths at Colorado resorts and 17 of these occurred within ski resort boundaries in the 2022-23 season alone.



Let's hope for fewer deaths next season and hopefully a more stable snowpack with people being more cautious. Now is the time to start thinking about the coming ski season and enrolling in an avalanche course so that you are prepared for when the snow flies.