A skier and a snowmobiler were killed in separate avalanches in the Rocky Mountains, highlighting persisting dangerous snow conditions in the West.

In separate incidents in the Rocky Mountains, a backcountry skier and a snowmobiler lost their lives due to avalanches triggered by unstable snow layers. The incidents occurred near Crested Butte, Colorado, and in southern Wyoming, respectively, amid warnings of persistent hazardous snow conditions across much of the Western US. This winter, avalanches have claimed at least seven lives, with an annual average of about 30 avalanche-related deaths in the country.