This winter has been dubbed Europe's deadliest ski season... so why ARE we having so many avalanches?
This winter has been dubbed Europe's deadliest ski season on record, with avalanches claiming 86 lives in the first two months of the year alone.In the Italian Alps, 13 climbers, hikers, skiers, and snowboarders were killed in a single week – more than any other week on record.Meanwhile, in France, 28 people have been killed this winter in the popular Valloire area – including two British skiers. So, why are we having so many avalanches? According to scientists, a perfect mix of weather patterns and the popularity of off-piste skiing are to blame for the slew of deadly snowslides.Frederic Jarry, project manager at the French National Association for the Study of Snow and Avalanches, told the Daily Mail: 'This is a winter unlike any we've experienced in the past few years.'Skiers are facing snow with a soft, crumbly layer trapped beneath a heavy slab known as a 'persistent weak layer', experts explain.With this fragile crust holding up an entire winter of snow, it only takes the slightest disturbance from an off–piste skier to send a wall of snow and ice sliding down the mountain.
As Europe's avalanche deaths reach 86 within the first two months of the year, experts have revealed why skiing has become so dangerous. Pictured: A mountain rescue team searches the aftermath of an avalanche in the Grenoble Alpes region An avalanche in Val d'Isere on February 13 swept away six skiers in an off–piste area of the slopes, killing one French national and the two Britons. Scientists blame unusual weather patterns for the slew of deadly snow slides Fully developed avalanches contain up to one million tonnes of snow, ice, and other debris and travel at speeds of 200mph (320 km/h) – making them the deadliest threat in the mountains. This year, skiers have been killed throughout the Alps, Pyrenees, and Carpathian Mountains – with deaths in France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Slovenia and Slovakia, as well as in Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.According to the European Avalanche Warning Services, which tracks avalanche fatalities, an average of 100 people die in European avalanches each year.However, avalanches claimed 77 lives in the first six weeks of 2026 alone, with the death toll now standing at 86.France has recorded the highest toll so far with 25 deaths, followed by Italy with 21 and Austria with 14, while Switzerland has lost nine and Spain eight.When you see a blanket of white snow covering the ground, it is very easy to think of it as one consistent block.But, in reality, the snow that covers ski resorts is actually made up of distinct layers deposited throughout the winter.Essentially, an avalanche occurs when one of these layers starts to slide over the others, building into an unstoppable river of snow. Light snowfall and cold weather early in the winter set up a fragile crust known as a persistent weak layer that has now been covered by a thick slab of snow. Pictured: An avalanche near Bad Hofgastein, Austria This weak layer has formed in mountain ranges all over Europe, causing deaths in France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Slovenia and Slovakia (pictured)When there is a steep slope of 30° or more and snow with this dangerous slab structure, avalanches will always be a threat.However, this year, weather conditions have combined to make slopes as dangerous as they possibly could be.Mr Jarry says: 'The high number of fatal accidents and deaths is specifically due to the season's unique snow and weather conditions.'The winter season began with fine, dry weather that deposited a light coat of snow over the mountains, followed immediately by a cold snap.That cold spell transformed the small, densely packed snow crystals into large hollow grains that slide over each other rather than sticking together.Dr Jürg Schweizer, of the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, told the Daily Mail: 'The shallow snowpack transformed into weak layers consisting of poorly bonded crystals, a pile of rubble, also called sugary snow.'Then, in mid–January, we had the first snowfall for a long time, covering these weak basal layers. The perfect slab on a weak layer combination, the prerequisite for dry–snow slab avalanches, the deadliest avalanches for skiers.'Once set up, that persistent weak layer is a major issue because it doesn't go away. Although the weak layer formed last year, it doesn't simply go away when new snow falls. Heavy snow in late January only added more weight to the avalanches that have killed dozens across Europe. Pictured: Italian Alpine rescuers at the scene of an avalanche in South Tyrol, Italy, that killed two Europe's avalanche death toll 2026 France: 25 deathsItaly: 21 deathsAustria: 14 deathsSwitzerland: 9 deathsSpain: 8 deathsSlovakia: 4 deathsSlovenia: 3 deathsAndorra: 1 death In recent days, heavy snow has fallen on the mountains in France again, leading to a significantly heightened risk of avalanche. The layer simply sits beneath subsequent layers of snowfall, waiting for the trigger it needs to suddenly collapse. The majority of the time, the collapse is due to a natural cause, but the most dangerous types of avalanches are those triggered by people.Skiing, snowboarding, hiking, or climbing through an unstable snowpack creates vibrations that can shake loose the precariously balanced slab.Dr Nicolas Eckert, an expert on mountain risk from Grenoble Alpes University, told the Daily Mail: 'Avalanche risk in the European Alps is nowadays mostly for mountain practitioners that trigger avalanches themselves.' This is a particular risk for off-piste skiers, who forgo the safety of ski resorts to seek quiet routes and undisturbed snow.Since the pandemic, this pastime has exploded in popularity, with manufacturers of off-piste equipment reporting a 13 per cent increase in participation between 2022 and 2023.However, off-piste skiing also carries an increased risk of triggering an avalanche, especially when there is a persistent weak layer in place. The issue has been made worse by more skiers going off–piste to escape crowded resorts. Their movement triggers avalanches that can hit them or people elsewhere on the slope. Pictured: An avalanche that killed two men in the Couloir Vesses, a well–known off–piste route Why do persistent weak layers form? Persistent weak layers form when there is a very high temperature gradient in the snow.That means the temperature changes very quickly between the relatively warm ground, at around 0°C, and the surface, which can reach –11°C.This happens when the snow layer is very thin and the temperatures are cold, such as during clear nights. This high temperature gradient transforms the grains of snow through a process called 'kinetic metamorphism'.The crystals transform into large, hollow grains shaped like tiny cones. These large grains can't stick together very well and remain trapped as a loose powder beneath subsequent snowfall. Last Sunday, an off–trail avalanche killed two skiers and injured another on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc Massif, near the French–Swiss border.On Monday, British skiers Stuart Leslie, 46, and Shaun Overy, 51, were killed by an avalanche while skiing off–piste under an instructor's supervision in the French ski resort of Val d’Isère.Then, again, on Tuesday, a group of five skiers were hit by an avalanche while off–piste near the resort town of La Gave.Two of the skiers were killed: A Polish–born British man living in Switzerland and a Polish man. Dr Eckert says: 'Risk change is mainly governed by change in the number of off–track skiers and their ability to cope with risk. The number of off–track skiers is increasing, which should directly increase overall risk.'This spree of off-piste deaths actually bucks the recent trend, which suggested that the pastime was generally becoming safer.While the number of off-piste skiers has grown significantly, the fatality rate for avalanches has actually fallen in the last 10 years. Dr Eckert says this is because the increased risk was compensated by better avalanche warnings, increased use of safety equipment, and stable snow conditions. British skiers Stuart Leslie (right), 46, and Shaun Overy (left), 51, were killed by an avalanche while skiing off–piste under an instructor's supervision in the French ski resort of Val d’Isère However, this year's unique weather conditions have made the risk so severe that even otherwise well–prepared skiers are now being caught up in deadly slow slides. The big question for many avalanche researchers is how climate change will affect these trends.Currently, most scientists expect that climate change will actually reduce the total number of avalanches each year. This is simply because the warming climate means there is less snow on the mountain, which makes an avalanche a lot less likely.A recent pre–print study found that the average number of avalanches per year has already fallen six per cent each decade between 1958 and 2023.Going forward, scientists predict that there could be 30 per cent fewer avalanches per year in 2100 than in 1990.The only exception is for altitudes above 3,000 metres, where avalanches are going to become more frequent due to more extreme weather. However, scientists stress that this does not necessarily mean that the risk of being killed in an avalanche is going to get any lower. In the future, scientists believe that climate change will mean there are fewer avalanches per year. But the actual risk of being killed may not decrease if skiers keep following the snow to more dangerous higher altitudes. Pictured: A train derailed by an avalanche in southern Switzerland, injuring fiveDr François Doussot, an avalanche expert for the French national weather service Meteo France, told the Daily Mail that there is a difference between 'avalanche hazard' and 'avalanche risk'.Although the hazard, which reflects the likelihood of an avalanche occurring, is falling, the actual risk is increasing. He says: 'The risk is highly dependent on the exposure, which is certainly changing faster than the hazard.'As snow vanishes from lower altitudes, skiers will keep seeking snow at higher altitudes where avalanches are becoming more frequent. Those avalanches are likely to contain a higher level of wet snow, which is far heavier and significantly more likely to kill.One study of the effects of climate change on avalanches concluded: 'Higher snow densities in avalanche debris will likely interfere with the respiration of completely buried victims. Asphyxia and trauma, as causes of avalanche death, may increase.'At the same time, as overall snowfall decreases, some researchers have suggested that thin, persistent weak layers could become more common – putting off–piste skiers in even more danger. Mr Jarry adds: 'The mountain, the snow and weather conditions are constantly evolving. It's up to the participants to adapt their approach and know when to change their plans, abandoning certain routes to choose more suitable and interesting ones.' How to survive an avalanche Draw attention to yourself – if you feel yourself being caught in an avalanch, scream and shout Attempt to ski sideways – you won't be able to outrun the avalanche, so if you see one coming, try skiing out to the sideTry to remove your skis and ditch your poles – these will act as an anchor and pull you down Get to the surface – fight as hard as you can to punch your way to the surfaceMake an air pocket – cup your hand over your moth to create an air pocketUse your tools – if you're going off–piste, make sure you have a transceiver, probe and shovel with you
