Some experts say it s also to blame for a recent spike in avalanche deaths. Seriously.
So far this winter season, 33 people have died in US avalanches, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Centre (CAIC).That s not far from the record 36 deaths set in 2008 and reached again in 2010.
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Skiers leave the parking lot at Alpine Meadows ski resort in Alpine Meadows, California last January, after a skier was killed.(AP)
But a unique combination of climate- and pandemic-related trends could see the US break the record. Here s why:
Climate creates avalanche conditions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says the three factors needed for an avalanche to occur are a slope, snowpack and a trigger.
Mountainwatch| Reggae Elliss It has been a dangerous winter in many Northern Hemisphere mountain regions with extended breaks between large snowfalls and
Sarah Moughamian was one of four skiers killed in Saturday s Mill Creek avalanche in Utah.(Facebook)
Army Ranger Matthew Nyman survived a helicopter crash in Iraq that crushed his foot but he learned to climb again, most recently on Alaska s Bear Mountain.
Mr Jessen, Ms Moughamian and Mr Nyman are just three of the 14 people who ve died in avalanches since February 1.
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The bodies of three skiers have been found.(Office of Emergency Management, San Juan County)
It s the highest number of avalanche deaths recorded in a seven-day period since the US Forest Service s National Avalanche Centre started tracking deaths, according to Karl Birkeland, the centre s director.
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