Avalanche Death Toll in Europe Passes 100
20th February 2026
Last modified on February 24th, 2026
The toll continues to rise as the snowpack remains highly unstable and some ignore the warnings. The snowfall has eased off but it remains dangerous in places off piste. UPDATED
In the latest incident a 52 year old man from the Netherlands died in the Austrian resort of Zell am Ziller.
He was skiing with his wife and daughter who were on the marked trails and when he failed to arrive at a pre-arranged meeting point this wife contacted the authorities.
He was found buried in the snow and was taken to hospital where he later died.
In Verbier in Switzerland a 22-year-old man died while skiing off piste.
Two rescue helicopters were deployed, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The avalanche risk remains at Level 3 (considerable) on Tuesday over large parts of the Swiss Alps,
Avalanche risk in Switzerland on Tuesday 24th February. Image c/o Swiss Institute for snow and avalanche research.
Five people were killed in a series of avalanches in the Austrian Alps last Friday.
In the worst incident three people died in St Anton in the Tirol.
A 42-year-old German man died after being buried by an avalanche in Nauders.
A snowboarder died after being buried in the Vorarlberg region.
It took the avalanche death toll in Europe this winter to 100.
That is the annual average and there is two and a half months of the main season remaining.
France has seen the highest number of fatalities so far this winter at 28.
The annual average for this time of year in France is 10.
Italy has seen 26 deaths, Austria 15 and Switzerland 15.
Last winter in Europe there were 70 fatalities, and 87 in 2023-24.
In the 2020-21 season 131 people died and in 2017-18 the figure was 147.
The high number of incidents this season is caused by a series of heavy storms with snow falling on an unstable snow pack where the bonding is very weak.
Avalanche in Tignes. Image c/o David Morgan.
New research from Swiss scientists suggest that avalanches are starting faster than previously thought with cracks accelerating across the slopes quickly.
Previously, it was assumed that such cracks propagate at speeds of between 20 and 80 metres per second.
The new research concludes the propagation speed increased from 50 to 130 metres per second.
SLF researchers have now demonstrated that cracks propagate faster than expected, even exceeding the previously assumed theoretical boundaries for this process in snow.
This then causes a wide area of a slope to slide.
We have posted the full details here:
The avalanche in St Anton was likely triggered by the skiers themselves according to the police.
Most fatal avalanches are started by skiers and snowboarders themselves, and are not spontaneous.
In the Austrian city of Linz a man was killed while clearing snow.
He was crushed by a snowplough in a clearing operation.
The avalanche in St Anton happened away from the marked runs in the Rendl area and was visible from the town.
Five people were caught with two declared dead at the scene. A third person was rescued but died later in hospital.
The danger was at Level 4 (High) on a scale of 5.
The level where most people die is Level 3 as the authorities drop the risk to ‘considerable’ and people think it is safer than it actually is.
It is reported that the Italian authorities have confirmed that two off piste skiers died in a recent avalanche in Courmayeur.
Another remains injured.
Powder dust from the avalanche hit a lift queue in the Val Veny area of Courmayeur in the Aosta Valley, and the video of the incident went viral on social media.
All people in the lift queue and on the surrounding slopes were unharmed.
On Wednesday three Dutch people were caught in an avalanche in Fiss, in the Tirol.
A 71-year-old man died in the 50m avalanche.
His 41-year-old son and a 34-year-old man survived.
The younger two were equipped with avalanche transceivers, but the man who died was not wearing one.
His body was found an hour after the accident by an avalanche dog.
The Austrian National Emergency Centre recorded over 30 avalanches on Wednesday.
Two Germans, a snowboarder and a skier, were also killed in Austria.
The previous day in Switzerland a 49-year-old man was killed by an avalanche on Tuesday afternoon while skiing with his 15-year-old son in the canton of Graubünden, eastern Switzerland.
The avalanche risk at the time was Level 4 – High.
The two were skiing away from the marked pistes in Parsonz.
It was the second avalanche death in Graubünden in the space of a week.
On Sunday afternoon, a 38-year-old snowboarder died in the Parsenn area in Davos.
Avalanche in Davos.Image c/o Graubunden Cantonal Police.
On Monday, another snowboarder was rescued in Davos.
Three British skiers have died in recent days.
The high number is also being fuelled by the wreckless behaviour of some skiers and snowboarders who are not heeding the warnings.
Here at PlanetSKI we wouldn’t dream of skiing on a slope over 30 degrees in steepness, or one that is threatened by a slope above that is over 30 degrees at present when the avalanche risk is so high.
Preferably keep to the trees and ideally established ones that indicate they have not been swept away by an avalanche in recent years.
Above all have the correct safety equipment and know how to use it.
Obey all the rules, and make all judgments on safety grounds, not personal enjoyment or bragging rights.
The enjoyment comes once the correct safety decisions are made.
See here for the thoughts from the PlanetSKI editor, James Cove.
James Cove. Image © PlanetSKI
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