New research finds that mountain goat populations require 11 years – or 1.5 generations – to recover from more extreme avalanche years.

This is Alaska’s first fatal avalanche reported this season. It is also the country’s deadliest since February 2023.

An avalanche on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula killed one backcountry skier and injured two others, prompting warnings for people to stay away from steep slopes as warm weather and high winds raise the risk of more snowslides around the state.

The reason for the uptick in human-triggered avalanches this winter: persistent weak layers in the snowpack.

Juneau saw 9.6 inches of snow on Dec. 7, breaking the previous daily record as a Gulf of Alaska low brought the season’s first heavy snow to Southeast while hurricane-force winds eased in Southcentral.