History of Avalanche in Timeline
An avalanche is a swift cascade of snow descending a slope, often a mountain. These can occur naturally due to increased snow or weakened snowpack. External factors such as human activity, animals, or earthquakes can also trigger them. Consisting of snow and air, large avalanches can incorporate ice, rocks, and trees into their flow. These events pose significant risks in mountainous regions and are studied to better predict and mitigate their impact.
March 1910: Deadly avalanches in Cascade and Selkirk Mountain ranges
In March 1910, the Wellington avalanche in Washington state killed 96 people on March 1st. Three days later, the Rogers Pass avalanche in British Columbia, Canada, killed 62 railroad workers.
December 1916: Avalanches during WWI in the Alps
In December 1916, approximately 10,000 soldiers from both sides of the Austrian-Italian front died in avalanches during World War I.
1924: Lagotala's avalanche behavior modeling
In preparation for the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, Professor Lagotala attempted to model avalanche behavior.
1950: Avalanche Fatalities in the United States
Since 1950, 1,169 people have died in avalanches in the United States.
1951: Avalanche Fatalities in the United States
Since 1951, 1,169 people have died in avalanches in the United States.
1955: Publication of Voellmy's avalanche force model
In 1955, A. Voellmy's "Ueber die Zerstoerungskraft von Lawinen" (On the Destructive Force of Avalanches) was published and popularized, detailing a method for modeling avalanche behavior.
March 1968: Biały Jar avalanche in Poland
On 20 March 1968, an avalanche in Biały Jar, Poland, killed 19 people, including 13 Russians, 4 East Germans, and 2 Polish citizens; 5 people survived.
1990: Lenin Peak avalanche disaster
In 1990, an earthquake triggered a large avalanche on Lenin Peak in Kyrgyzstan, killing 43 climbers.
April 1993: Adoption of a European avalanche risk scale
In April 1993, Europe adopted a new avalanche risk scale to replace the earlier non-standard national schemes.
1993: Bayburt Üzengili avalanche in Turkey
In 1993, an avalanche in Bayburt Üzengili, Turkey, killed 60 people.
1996: Jamieson et al. study on avalanche causes
In a 1996 study, Jamieson et al. found that 83% of recreational avalanche accidents were caused by those involved, while all accidents in residential, industrial, and transportation settings were due to natural avalanches.
1999: Galtür avalanche disaster leads to new avalanche understanding
Following the 1999 Galtür avalanche disaster, radar studies confirmed the hypothesis that a saltation layer forms between the surface and the airborne components of an avalanche, which can also separate from the bulk of the avalanche.
1999: Montroc avalanche in France
In 1999, a large avalanche in Montroc, France, killed 12 people in their chalets. The mayor of Chamonix was convicted of second-degree murder for not evacuating the area, but received a suspended sentence.
1999: Galtür avalanche in Austria
In 1999, the Galtür avalanche in Austria killed 31 people in the village, which was thought to be a safe zone.
1999: Wet Snow Avalanche Characteristics
In 1999, wet snow avalanches were described as a low velocity suspension of snow and water, confined to the track surface, capable of generating powerful destructive forces due to their large mass and density, typically occurring in water-saturated snowpacks isothermally equilibrated to the melting point of water.
December 2000: Glory Bowl Avalanche on Mt. Glory, Wyoming
On 1 December 2000, Joel Roof triggered and died in the Glory Bowl Avalanche on Mt. Glory in Wyoming while snowboarding.
2001: Global Avalanche Fatalities
In 2001, it was reported that an average of 150 people die each year from avalanches globally.
January 2003: Tatra Mountains avalanche in Poland
On 28 January 2003, a Tatra Mountains avalanche in Poland swept away nine out of a thirteen-member group of students and associated individuals heading to the summit of Rysy.
May 2003: Avalanche risk scale descriptions updated
In May 2003, descriptions of the European avalanche risk scale were updated to enhance uniformity.
April 2006: North American Avalanche Fatalities
In April 2006, it was recorded that 445 people had died in avalanches throughout North America in the preceding 11-year period.
2007: D2FRAM model validation
As of 2007, the D2FRAM (Dynamical Two-Flow-Regime Avalanche Model) was still undergoing validation.
2014: Avalanche Fatalities in the United States
From 2014 to 2024, the majority of avalanche fatalities in the United States were skiers, followed by snowmobilers, snowshoers/climbers/hikers, and snowboarders.
2020: Avalanche Fatalities in the United States
By 2020, 1,169 people had died in avalanches in the United States since 1950.
2021: Avalanche Fatalities in the United States
By 2021, 1,169 people had died in avalanches in the United States since 1950.
July 2022: Marmolada Glacier avalanche in Italy
On 3 July 2022, a serac collapse on the Marmolada Glacier in Italy caused an avalanche that killed 11 alpinists and injured eight.
2024: Avalanche Fatalities in the United States
By 2024, the majority of avalanche fatalities in the United States between 2014 and 2024 were skiers, followed by snowmobilers, snowshoers/climbers/hikers, and snowboarders.
