The number of avalanches triggered by people quadrupled in one year, from 13 to 66.
Figures from the ‘Snow Report in Norway’ (Snøskredvarslingen i Norge) showed that at the end of February, 113 people had been involved in a total of 66 different avalanches. At the same time last year, 21 people had been involved in 13 incidents.
Head of Snow Reporting, Rune Engset, said that there are several reasons for the increase of avalanches that were triggered by people. One of these is that more and more are reported. Another reason is that more people go onto the slopes because mountain trips have become very popular.
“Fortunately, there have been no fatal accidents so far this year, but it’s precisely this we are afraid that could happen in the future,” said Engeset to Aftenposten newspaper.
Figures from previous years show that March and April are the months with the highest number of casualties.
The 66 reported events this year have taken place in western and southern Norway.
An announcement went out about large avalanches on Sunday, grade 4, in Ofoten, Salten, Svartisen and Helgeland, as well as Svalbard east. Northwest Norway received the same warning notice for Monday.
In Finnmark and Troms, the avalanche warnings were somewhat downgraded, but still on grade 3 over the weekend.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
