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CHAPTER 7. AVALANCHE <br />7-3 <br />Date Location Description <br />12/19/2015 Kendall Peak, Commonweatlh Basin, <br />Snoqualmie Pass area, WA <br />1 probable avalanche fatality. The terrain in which the <br />victim was found, his body position, information from the <br />coroner's report, and documented human and natural <br />avalanches in the immediate and surrounding terrain all <br />support the likelihood of an avalanche fatality. <br />12/31/2015 Granite Mt, Snoqualmie Pass, WA 1 snowshoer caught by a small windslab avalanche and <br />carried into the trees and died of trauma injuries. <br />3/4/2017 Hawkins Mt., Central Cascades, WA Two snowmobilers, one critical injury, one fatality. <br />3/4/2017 Avalanche Mountain, Snoqualmie <br />Pass area, WA <br />Three skiers caught, one injured. <br />4/11/2017 Red Mt, near Snoqualmie Pass, WA One solo skier caught and killed. <br />2/18/2018 Alpental, Snoqualmie Pass area, WA One snowboarder caught, carried and partially buried at the <br />surface, minor injuries. <br />2/25/2018 Cottonwood Lake, Snoqualmie Pass <br />area, WA <br />One snowmobiler was caught, carried and killed by a slab <br />avalanche that released above Cottonwood Lake. The other <br />4 members in the party of 5 suffered minor injuries and <br />were partially buried. <br />2/25/2018 Source Lake-Snow Lake Divide, <br />Alpental Valley, Snoqualmie Pass <br />area, WA <br />Two teenagers were killed by a slab avalanche that released <br />on a south aspect in the Alpental Valley. <br />3/3/2018 South of Longs Pass, North Fork <br />Teanaway, WA <br />Four snowmobilers were caught and carried with two riders <br />killed in the avalanche. <br /> <br />7.2.2 Location <br />The Cascade Range in the western half of Kittitas County receives extensive precipitation due to its size <br />and orientation to the flow of Pacific marine air. In the local maritime climate, it is common for air <br />temperatures to rise above freezing and for precipitation to change from snow to rain during mid -winter <br />storm cycles. Temperatures can change several degrees within minutes, causing abrupt changes in <br />precipitation type. These conditions frequently cause the release of avalanches. Figure 7-1 shows avalanche <br />hazard areas in Washington State, including the westernmost portion of Kittitas County. The majority of <br />this area is included in Unincorporated Kittitas County. The jurisdictions of Roslyn, Cle Elum, and South <br />Cle Elum are located on the edge of this hazard area. Due to their location on the periphery and mitigation <br />efforts, these jurisdictions have very low levels of risk from avalanche.