2025 Chugach Mountains avalanche

On March 4, 2025, a significant avalanche occurred in Alaska's Chugach Mountains near Girdwood, approximately to the south of Anchorage. The avalanche buried three heli-skiers under an estimated or more of snow, with Alaskan authorities concluding they were unlikely to have survived. The incident represented the deadliest avalanche in the United States since a 2023 incident in Washington's Cascade Range that killed three.
Background
The avalanche took place in a remote section of the Chugach Mountains approximately to the northeast of the Girdwood Airport, at a location along the Twentymile River within the Chugach National Forest. The victims were participating in a guided heliskiing expedition operated by Chugach Powder Guides, a commercial backcountry skiing operation based in Girdwood, where they were transported via helicopter to remote, ungroomed mountain terrain not accessible by ski lifts. The three victims were all male clients from outside Alaska who were skiing with a professional guide when the avalanche occurred. According to company representatives, the men had deployed avalanche airbags to help them remain closer to the snow's surface during the avalanche. A fourth member of the skiing party was not caught by the avalanche, and was successfully evacuated.
The avalanche deposit was reported to be up to deep in some areas, with victims likely buried at depths exceeding . The Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center reported that the region where the avalanche occurred was marked with a "Considerable" avalanche danger had been forecast for higher elevations on the day of the incident. At evening, rescue teams detected signals from the victims' avalanche beacons, confirming their approximate locations. However, the rescuers determined that the victims were too deeply buried for immediate recovery. Rescue efforts were temporarily suspended due to insufficient resources and safety concerns.<ref name"ap"/> The three victims were presumed dead.<ref name"usatoday"/>
The following day, adverse weather conditions prevented helicopter access to the site, further delaying recovery operations. Additional snow and wind on March 5 increased the avalanche risk for the region, with approximately of fresh snow and strong winds predicted. Rain and heavy fog were also present at lower elevations. Alaska State Troopers planned to restart rescue efforts on March 6.<ref name="ap"/>

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