JACKSON (WNE) — An avalanche south of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort caught and carried — but did not fully bury — a skier on Sunday.  The skier survived. 

A picture posted to the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center’s observation page showed a person standing in the middle of avalanche debris with a deployed avalanche airbag. Ski tracks are visible a few hundred feet above in the middle of the slide path where the avalanche broke.

The avalanche was a reminder that bluebird days after a storm are risky for human-triggered avalanches, said Avalanche Center Executive Director Frank Carus. The avalanche danger had also just dropped from “considerable” to “moderate.”

“This was a classic setup — the first clear day after a storm,” Carus said.

On those days, skiing near cliff bands that face the sun can cause trouble, Carus said. The snowpack is generally shallower around cliffs, making it easier for skiers to trigger weak layers. The warmth of sunlight can melt snow, putting additional weight on those layers. Adding the weight of a skier can tip the instability scale and cause an avalanche, particularly when the snowpack is adjusting to new weight after a storm.

The avalanche was one of many triggered by skiers over the weekend, according to the Avalanche Center.

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