ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Three skiers are believed dead after an avalanche swept them away and buried them under a pile of snow nearly 10 stories deep in the Alaska backcountry.
Each winter about 25 people on average die in avalanches in the U.S., with most occurring in the wilderness, according to the National Avalanche Center. They are rare at ski resorts, which manage their slopes and trigger smaller slides on purpose when no visitors are around.
Here’s a look at avalanches, how they occur and some tips on how to stay safe:
The heli-skiers are believed to be dead after being swept away and buried Tuesday afternoon near the skiing community of Girdwood, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Anchorage. Heli-skiing is a type of backcountry skiing that involves using a helicopter to access remote areas and slopes of fresh snow.
If the three men's deaths are confirmed, it would be the deadliest in the country since three climbers were killed in Washington’s Cascade Mountains in 2023.
Experts said it is highly unlikely the helicopter triggered the avalanche because the vibration or noise from it doesn't release enough force.
Prior to this week, 15 people had been killed across the U.S. by avalanches this winter: 10 backcountry skiers and snowboarders, four people on snow machines and a ski patroller, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
The most recent was Feb. 28 in the Harts Pass area of Washington, where three snowmobilers were caught in a slide. One was killed, and one was injured.
One person was killed in central Colorado on Feb. 22 by a skier-triggered avalanche in a steep area above Berthoud Pass. It was the third avalanche death in the state this winter and the second in less than a week, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, after a Crested Butte snowboarder died Feb. 20 west of Silverton.
Elsewhere three people died Feb. 17 in avalanches: one person near Lake Tahoe, which straddles the California-Nevada border, and two backcountry skiers in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains. On Feb. 8 a well-known outdoor guide was killed in an avalanche in Utah.
It generally takes just two ingredients to create dangerous conditions: A slope of 30 degrees or more and layers upon layers of snow.
Extra pressure on top of that snowpack from weight, wind, rain, heavy snow or motion can cause some of the layers to shear off and slide downhill.
Sometimes a slide happens in the form of loose snow, called a sluff. Sluffs account for only a small percentage of deaths and property damage from avalanches, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.
Other avalanches are made up of slabs, which happen when a large layer of snow breaks away. Those account for most fatalities.
Another kind of avalanche occurs when wind creates a cornice of snow that hangs over a ridge or the edge of a steep slope. The overhang can collapse suddenly, catching anyone underneath or on top of it by surprise, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
Movement, rapidly changing weather, wind — any one of these things can set off an avalanche. But experts say 90% of slides that cause an injury or death are triggered by the victim or a companion.
That means people who ski, snowmobile, snowshoe or enjoy other winter backcountry activities should check the avalanche forecast before they head out and make sure they have the right safety gear.
Most ski resorts have avalanche protocols or mitigation systems. Often that means checking snowpack stability. Remote detonations are also used to trigger slides intentionally and remove risky buildup before skiers are allowed on the slopes, said Chris Lundy, an avalanche specialist with the National Avalanche Center.
Lundy said is highly unlikely the helicopter that dropped off the skiers in Alaska's backcountry triggered the avalanche.
“There is a popular misconception that sounds or vibrations trigger avalanches, and that is not correct at all. There needs to be a physical force on the snowpack for an avalanche to occur," he said.
Don't think for a second that you can outrun one. Dry slab avalanches typically reach speeds up to 80 mph (129 kph) within seconds, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center. Wet avalanches usually travel around 20 mph (32 kph).
By comparison eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt set a record of just under 28 mph (45 kph) in the 100-meter dash in 2009 — and that was on a flat track, not a snow-covered slope. Most people caught in avalanches are on the slope when they occur.
The better plan is to make sure you're not in a place where one is at risk of occurring. Outdoor enthusiasts can check forecasts at regional avalanche centers or www.avalanche.org.
If you do venture out, it’s a good idea to use the buddy system and be versed in wilderness first aid. Experts say three pieces of gear are essential: an avalanche beacon or transceiver, which sends location signals to others; a shovel to test snowpack or dig out companions; and a thin, folding pole to poke into the snow in search of anyone buried. An avalanche airbag backpack that inflates after the skier pulls the trigger giving the person a chance to stay above or close to the surface during an avalanche.
As fast as you can, try to cover or cup your mouth and nose with your hands. If your arms are extended when you’re buried, you won’t be able to move them.
The cupped hands provide a tiny air pocket. And your breath is warm when you blow out, so it can help melt the snow. If you’re lucky you might be able to wiggle a finger or two to slowly dig through otherwise cementlike snow for space, with more air, and eventually escape.
FILE - A chunk of ice floats past the Portage Glacier near Girdwood, Alaska, on June 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, file)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Konnor Griffin endured plenty of emotions when the 19-year-old shortstop learned the Pittsburgh Pirates were calling him up to the majors just a week into the season.
Shock was not one of them.
“I'm ready for this,” Griffin said Friday, just hours before making his major league debut against Baltimore at PNC Park.
He certainly looked ready, delivering an RBI double off Baltimore's Kyle Bradish in his first at-bat to help the Pirates to a 5-4 victory.
The Pirates are betting more big moments are on the way after making Griffin the first position player to arrive in the majors before his 20th birthday since Juan Soto did it with Washington in 2018.
Just 628 days after Pittsburgh selected him with the ninth pick in the 2024 amateur draft, the athletic and mustachioed 6-foot-3 Griffin found a No. 6 jersey hanging in his locker at PNC Park and his name penciled in the seventh spot in the lineup against the Orioles.
On the surface, it seems fast. The reality is that Griffin checked every box — and checked every box quickly — while sprinting through the Pirates' system. The final steps came over the last week when he hit .438 in a handful of games for Triple-A Indianapolis.
Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly felt Griffin was “pressing” near the end of spring training, when he smashed three homers but also hit just .171. The club made Griffin one of the last cuts before the opening-day roster was set. Yet rather than sulk, he headed to Triple-A, made a couple of adjustments, and saw immediate results.
“He just went right down and hit his stride and was able to reset in a couple of days,” Kelly said. “Which again, for anybody, is really impressive, especially for a 19-year-old kid whose hopes and dreams were to make the big leagues.”
That doesn't make Griffin unlike the millions of kids who pick up a bat when they're in elementary school. It's everything that has come after it, however, that has set Griffin apart. He raced through the lower levels of the minors last year, hitting 21 homers, driving in 94 runs, and stealing 65 bases while showcasing the range to play one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.
Yet it's not just the tangible on-field things that won the organization over. Griffin has long carried himself with the maturity of someone far older. He married his high school sweetheart, Dendy, over the winter. And she was the first one he told after Indianapolis manager Eric Patterson called Griffin to his hotel room in Columbus early Thursday to tell him he was heading to The Show.
The next 24 hours were a blur. From the short drive from Columbus to Pittsburgh to the scramble for the Mississippi native's family to make it to the ballpark that's tucked hard against the Allegheny River in time for Friday's first pitch.
Finally, just after noon, Griffin was able to relax. He trotted out to shortstop and took grounders, his frame and arm making him look very much the part of the role he's been preparing for since he was 5.
Griffin's skillset has drawn comparisons to the likes of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., heady territory for someone less than two years removed from his high school graduation. Still, he's not getting ahead of himself.
“Today is the first day of carving out a legacy that I want to build,” he said. "And I’m ready to do that and try to be right up there with those top guys.”
Griffin is the latest in a string of high-profile arrivals in Pittsburgh, from reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes to rookie right-hander Bubba Chandler to catcher Henry Davis.
The future that's been talked about since general manager Ben Cherington was hired in late 2019 is finally arriving. And perhaps it's telling of how far the club has come that Griffin is joining a roster that has undergone a significant upgrade in recent months with the additions of All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe, All-Star first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn and veteran designated hitter Marcell Ozuna.
“This team is loaded,” Griffin said. “I get to come in here and just be a piece of this puzzle.”
Perhaps a very big piece. For a very long time. The Pirates and Griffin have engaged in talks about a contract extension that would lock him up for most of the next decade.
Griffin demurred when asked about it on Friday, though he made his intentions very clear.
“All I’m going to say is, I want to be a Pirate for a long time,” he said. "This is a special place and I’m thankful to be here.”
Perhaps most importantly because it means he can shed the “top prospect” label and stop focusing so much on his individual development and instead turn his attention to helping the Pirates make a playoff push for the first time since the mid-2010s.
“Now it’s time to take all the skills that I’ve learned,” he said, "all the adjustments I’ve made. It’s time to go put them on the field and go win some games.”
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Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin celebrates after hitting an RBI double, his first Major League career hit and run, during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin (6) is introduced for his major league debut before a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin sprints for home to score a run during the second inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin hits an RBI double, his first Major League career hit and run, during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin, right, follows manager Don Kelly, center, and owner Bob Nutting into a meeting with reporters before making his Major League Baseball debut in the Pirates' home-opener against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin meets with reporters before making his Major League Baseball debut in the Pirates' home-opener against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin meets with reporters before making his Major League Baseball debut in the Pirates' home-opener against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
