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18 avalanches reported in 24 hours as skiers flock to snow-covered mountains in Utah

Derick Fox
kjzz.com
Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:50 UTC
The aftermath of an avalanche following a late-season winter storm on Feb. 18, 2026.
© Utah Avalanche CenterThe aftermath of an avalanche following a late-season winter storm on Feb. 18, 2026.
Nearly two dozen avalanches were reported across Utah's mountains over the last 24 hours, and several were determined to be human-triggered.

The Utah Avalanche Center reported 18 avalanches on Wednesday, eight of which were human-triggered.

This comes after several warnings of increased avalanche dangers across the state as winter made its return with more than a foot of snow falling on Utah's mountains.

Leading up to Wednesday's storm, the Utah Avalanche Center issued an "Avalanche Watch," which was upgraded to a "Warning" the next day.

Forecasters said the heavy snow from the storm overloaded widespread fragile layers of weak, faceted snow that formed during the winter dry spell.

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Snowflake

Heavy snowfall blankets Bucharest and other areas of Romania - transport services disrupted


Euronews
Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:42 UTC
Heavy snow and blizzard conditions across central, southern and eastern Romania on Wednesday forced widespread school closures, disrupted air, rail and road traffic and left tens of thousands without power, authorities and news reports said.
Heavy snow and blizzard conditions across central, southern and eastern Romania on Wednesday forced widespread school closures, disrupted air, rail and road traffic and left tens of thousands without power, authorities and news reports said.
Heavy snowfall and strong winds disrupted road, rail and air traffic in southern Romania, with delays reported in Bucharest and flights diverted from the capital's airport.

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Snowflake

Winter storm brings heavy snow and disrupts travel in Moscow - 70% of monthly average snowfall in a day


The Moscow Times
Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:33 UTC
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© Vasily Kuzmichyonok / Moskva News Agency
Moscow was walloped by a powerful winter storm between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, bringing heavy snow and strong winds that created treacherous road conditions and led to flight delays and cancellations.

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the Russian capital was expecting more than 70% of the monthly average snowfall throughout Thursday alone.

"Winter is breaking all records. The snowfalls are relentless... Snow will continue throughout the day, the night, and into tomorrow," Sobyanin wrote on Telegram.

Meteorologists said snow cover in Moscow stood at 175% of the daily average snowfall for Feb. 19, but it still fell short of a daily record broken in 2024. Blizzard conditions are forecast to continue into Friday morning, they said.

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Arrow Down

Deadly snow slide kills rescuer and 2 climbers in North Caucasus, Russia

Tamilla Hasanova
Caliber.Az
Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:27 UTC
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A deadly avalanche struck the Arkhyz ski resort in Russia's Karachay-Cherkessia on February 19, claiming the lives of three people, according to emergency services and regional media cited by Russian media.

The snow slide occurred in the area of the Orlyonok ravine, where both rescue personnel and a group of climbers were operating at the time. Preliminary information indicates that two rescuers were caught beneath the snow mass: one died at the scene, while the second was injured and taken to the hospital.

The avalanche also swept over three climbers. One managed to escape independently and was hospitalised, while the bodies of the other two were later located and transported to Arkhyz.

Authorities also reported that part of the avalanche reached the nearby settlement, partially covering two private houses. Residents were evacuated quickly, and no casualties were recorded among the local population.
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2 skiers killed in avalanche on popular Mont Blanc skiing route near French-Swiss border

Greg Wehner
AOL
Sun, 15 Feb 2026 13:10 UTC
This handout image released by the Italian Alpine Rescue shows the avalanche that killed two men in the Couloir Vesses, a well-known freeride route in Courmayeur, in the upper Val Veny, northern Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.
© APThis handout image released by the Italian Alpine Rescue shows the avalanche that killed two men in the Couloir Vesses, a well-known freeride route in Courmayeur, in the upper Val Veny, northern Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.
Two skiers were killed and another injured Sunday when an off-trail avalanche tore through a popular freeride route on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif near the French-Swiss border, officials said.

Three skiers were swept up in the Sunday morning slide along the Couloir Vesses, a well-known off-piste route in Courmayeur's upper Val Veny, according to Italy's Alpine Rescue, The Associated Press reported.

Search and rescue operations involved 15 rescuers, three canine units and two helicopters. One victim was transported to a hospital in serious condition but later died, the agency said.

Authorities said another person was partially buried in an avalanche in Trentino but was pulled to safety by companions.

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Arrow Down

8 skiers dead after avalanche near Lake Tahoe

Evan Bush and David K. Li
NBC News
Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:45 UTC
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Eight people were killed in an avalanche during a backcountry skiing expedition on the California side of Lake Tahoe on Tuesday, authorities said in an update Wednesday.

One person is still missing but presumed dead, officials said, as searchers fight near-whiteout conditions. Six others in the party survived, ranging in age from 30 to 55 years old.

"We did have conversation with the families of the folks that are still outstanding and let them know that our mission went from a rescue to a recovery," Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon told reporters. "It's a difficult conversation to have with loved ones."

The bodies of those killed remain at the scene, where significant avalanche risk persists.

"The risk is still as high with the mission moving to a recovery. We want to really make sure that our first response responders are safe," Moon said.

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Tsunami

Monster storms flood parts of California with rounds of heavy rain as extreme snow slams the Sierra Nevada

Julian Atienza
Fox Weather
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 15:20 UTC
Cars pass on flooding water at Sawtelle neighborhood during heavy rain in Los Angeles, California, United States on February 16, 2026.
© Tayfun Coskun/AnadoluCars pass on flooding water at Sawtelle neighborhood during heavy rain in Los Angeles, California, United States on February 16, 2026.
Monday's storms shattered daily rain records and swamped Los Angeles and the Bay Area with flooding.

A flood threat remains for millions across much of the California coast as another round of moisture pushes inland off the Pacific Ocean, after Monday's storms shattered daily rain records. Meanwhile, heavy snow will spread from the Northern California mountain ranges into the southern part of the Sierra, adding to California's snowpack and eventually reaching the Rockies farther east, which are in a dire snow deficit.

Flooding was reported Monday across parts of California, after 1 - 2 inches of rain fell across the Los Angeles Basin and 3 - 5 inches of rain dropped across the Coastal Range north of the Bay Area.

Urban flooding swamped parts of LA, with water rising to the mid-door panels of some sedans in the Westwood neighborhood.

Parts of Topanga Canyon Boulevard in LA's Westside were closed due to debris slides.

Los Angeles was also placed under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the fifth time in the past two years. According to the FOX Forecast Center, the county had gone eight years without such a warning (2016 - 2024).

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Snowflake

Snow buries French Alps as massive storm dumps nearly 7 feet of powder in 5 days

Julia Schneemann
SnowBrains
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 15:28 UTC
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© Tignes.Snowfalls were deep in Tignes.
Snowfall in France this week has been huge, with some resorts seeing more than 2 meters (6.6 feet) in the last five days. A massive winter storm hammered the French Alps from February 10 - 13, unleashing monster snowfall that has buried resorts and reshaped the mountain landscape just days before Valentine's Day weekend.

Across the Northern Alps — including iconic resorts in Haute-Savoie, Savoie, and Isère — weather stations reported extraordinary snow totals. The most snow fell at Grand Montets, part of Mont Blanc Natural Resort, which saw 2.13 meters (6.99) of snowfall in the last five days. Higher elevations above 1,800 - 2,000 meters were especially hard hit, with meters of new snow stacking up in tight time windows. Windy conditions associated with the powerful system also created deep wind slabs, making untouched slopes look like giant pillows of powder... and giant avalanche hazards.

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Ice Cube

An 80-mile crack splits Lake Erie's ice as the lake nears a rare milestone

Brian Lada
AccuWeather
Mon, 09 Feb 2026 10:07 UTC
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Lake Erie is almost completely iced over, and over the weekend, the frozen surface split open in dramatic fashion.

A crack stretching more than 80 miles formed Sunday, running from near the Canadian side of the lake toward the Cleveland area. The break opened up after strong winds swept across the Great Lakes Friday and Saturday, pushing and pulling the lake's ice as another blast of Arctic air poured into the region.

The striking split isn't unheard of when Lake Erie is heavily frozen. As winds shift or ease and temperatures fluctuate, large sheets of ice can drift, collide and separate, creating long, jagged openings across the lake.

Those same winds also shoved ice toward parts of the shoreline, where it can pile up into ridges and create hazards, including the risk of property damage in vulnerable coastal areas.

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Snowflake Cold

Six all-time cold records broken in one day as death toll from record snow climbs to 46 in Japan

Rishav Kothari
The Watchers
Tue, 10 Feb 2026 11:59 UTC
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At least six locations in Japan recorded record-breaking cold on the morning of February 9, 2026, as temperatures fell below -3°C (26.6°F) for the first time since 1984. The death toll from the record-breaking snowfall since January 20 has climbed to 46 as of February 10.

Record-breaking cold has struck parts of Japan following deadly heavy snowfall since late January.

At least six all-time cold records were set on the morning of February 9, as temperatures in Tokyo fell below -3°C (26.6°F) in February for the first time in 42 years, reported Sayaka Mori, broadcast meteorologist at NHK.

"Narita and Haneda Airports both logged their coldest mornings on record, with sub-zero temperatures covering over 90% of Japan," Mori said.

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