"At approximately 7:30AM (prior to Ski Area operations) on Friday, December 26, Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol was performing avalanche mitigation work when an avalanche occurred on Lincoln Mountain. Two Patrollers were caught in the slide and were immediately transported to Mammoth Hospital. One patroller sustained serious injuries and is being transported out of the area for further care, the second patroller is being evaluated with possible broken bones."
"You could easily trigger a large avalanche today if you venture into avalanche terrain, High intensity snowfall early this morning combined with strong winds will keep avalanche danger elevated. The likelihood of natural avalanches should decrease as the day progresses, while human triggered avalanches remain likely all day long."
A sudden heavy deposit of wet snow in the Sierra Nevada produced elevated avalanche danger after an unusually snowless start to winter. Mammoth Mountain reported more than five feet of snow since Dec. 23 and suspended operations after avalanche mitigation work on Lincoln Mountain caught two ski patrollers in a slide, leaving one seriously injured and another possibly with broken bones. The Sierra Avalanche Center warned that high-intensity snowfall and strong winds made human-triggered avalanches likely throughout the day. Some resorts delayed openings while others proceeded with limited operations and public events amid the conditions.
Read at SFGATE
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