KELLOGG, Idaho — An avalanche on Silver Mountain that killed two people and left four injured with one more presumed missing, people are wondering if it is safe to ski and snowboard this weekend in the Inland Northwest.
The Inland Northwest is projected to see more heavy snow this weekend, with some areas receiving between 6-12 inches of new powder.
Well, those who want to hit the slopes are likely OK to do so, as avalanches in the Inland Northwest are rare.
KREM could only find two other instances of avalanches causing major problems in the Inland Northwest.
One was in Feb. 2019 on Lookout Pass on I-90 near St. Regis, which closed the road but led to no injuries. The other happened in 2016 on Lookout Pass, when three skiers had to be rescued.
Conditions for this weekend look fine at area resorts, although Schweitzer does show a Level 5 'Red' extreme avalanche danger. However, the resort said they will be opening as usual this weekend.
Much of the Cascade Mountain are under a Level 3, which is a considerable avalanche risk.
Although local ski areas can sometimes show high levels of avalanche danger, resorts are usually on top of clearing dangers and checking all runs to ensure everyone is safe.
To check on up to date avalanche dangers, you can visit avalanche.com for a map showing different levels of danger.