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Avalanche — East Slopes Southern Cascades, Washington

January 18, 1998 · NOAA Storm Events record

Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
0
Property damage
—
Area
East Slopes Southern Cascades

Event narrative (NOAA)

A snowmobiler died Sunday afternoon in an avalanche near Blewett Pass. After riding up a relatively steep slope he was trying to turn his machine around when the slope above him gave way. He and his machine fell 400 to 500 feet and were buried under 2-3 feet of snow. Nearby snowmobilers used trail marker wands to probe for the victim but failed to find him. After avalanche control measures were taken Monday morning to protect rescuers, the victim was found Monday afternoon . He was located about 60 feet below and 20 feet across the slope from his machine.

Other notable avalanche events in Washington

Western Chelan County · February 19, 20233 killedWest Slopes Central Cascades And Passes · December 1, 20073 killedCentral Cascade Foothills · January 11, 19973 killedWest Slopes Central Cascades And Passes · February 19, 20123 killedCentral Slopes Northern Cascades And Passes · December 25, 19962 killedWest Slopes Northern Cascades And Passes · February 14, 19992 killed

Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.

Avalanche — East Slopes Southern Cascades, Washington, January 18, 1998 | DisasterAtlasUSA