Avalanche powder cloud is Saas-Fee.
Avalanche powder cloud is Saas-Fee.

It’s been a wild week for snowfall and avalanches in Europe, with heavy snow totals skyrocketing the danger level across much of the Alps. That includes in Saas-Fee, where this wild snow cloud rushed over what appears to be a beginner trail during mitigation.

To be very clear, the slope had already been closed when the avalanche occurred. The open slope is covered only in a cloud of snow dust from the avalanche, not the avalanche itself. The Saas-Fee teams monitor conditions and act proactively, always putting safety first. So while this might seem like a horrifying situation, it’s actually completely safe and fairly routine.

Nolan Deck is a writer for Unofficial Networks, covering skiing and outdoor adventure. After growing up and skiing in Maine, he moved to the Denver area for college where he continues to live and work...