An avalanche killed one person and injured another Sunday on Mt. Herman, near the Mt. Baker ski area. The name, age and gender of the victims has not been released. The surviving victim was airlifted to a nearby hospital, and a search and rescue team is on its way today to find and recover the body.
Scott Schell, program director for the Northwest Avalanche Center, told the Seattle Times that the victims were struck by the avalanche in a remote area not accessible by ski lift. Schell says there is a higher risk of avalanches due to a weak layer of frost that was buried under snow this month; this weak layer is prone to failure, which can trigger an avalanche.
This is the second avalanche death in Washington this month. On January 1, software entrepreneur and philanthropist Doug Walker was killed while hiking in Granite Mountain in the Cascades. Around the country, 11 people have died in avalanches this month, according to Komo News. This is highest number of fatalities for a January in almost 20 years.
