avalanche safety

Massive snow-covered mountains loom over campus, so close they reflect off the glass front of the Joseph F. Smith Building. Students play a figurative game of Russian roulette every time they venture into the mountains during the winter.

Avalanche deaths are rising at an alarming rate in the United States. In Utah alone avalanches cause 64 percent of deaths caused by natural disasters. Earlier this month, a snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche in Richfield. Although winter in Utah has been milder than in years past, events like these are reminders of the seriousness of natural disasters and how important it is to know what to do in these situations.