According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website, a person trapped under the snow following an avalanche might not have more than 20 to 30 minutes to survive. The department also said there are about 100,000 avalanches annually in the U.S., resulting in an average of 28 deaths.

This serves as an important reminder of how much longer a mission can take when the helicopter is grounded, and is another factor to consider in your backcountry planning should an accident

Officials in Wyoming confirmed the death of a 36-year-old skier following an avalanche at a mountain pass over the weekend. The avalanche occurred on Saturday at Togwotee Pass in Teton County, which is northeast of Jackson. Local search and rescue crews were alerted about the tragic incident around noon involving a group of four individuals.

An avalanche killed one skier and injured another after the group they were in triggered the large snowslide while ascending a mountain in western Wyoming. The avalanche happened Saturday in a backcountry area about 20 miles east of Grand Teton National Park.

A large avalanche in western Wyoming on the Togwotee Pass killed an experienced outdoorsman and left another skier injured during the first weekend of 2025.

One person is dead and another injured after they became buried by an avalanche over the weekend in Wyoming, authorities said.

Teton County Search & Rescue was called to respond to an avalanche burial on Togwotee Pass. It killed one skier and injured another.