The closure is currently impacting the highway from Milepost 93.7 to 105.5 and will remain closed until further notice. “We do not close highways without reason, and this slide is a perfect example,” the ITD expressed in a Facebook post. According to the department, the most substantial section appeared to be about 40 feet deep.
A striking image displays the colossal avalanche that has shut down State Highway 21 in Idaho. The department shared awe-inspiring pictures of the avalanche, revealing snow covering the thoroughfare, with crews diligently working to clear the obstruction.
Crews are optimistic that the road could reopen by Monday afternoon or Tuesday. Nevertheless, Idaho 511 highlights that conditions will be reevaluated on Tuesday morning.
Deadly avalanches have been reported across multiple western U.S. states recently. Reports indicate that an avalanche claimed the life of a skier and injured another at Utah’s Big Cottonwood Canyon over the weekend. Furthermore, a Wyoming man lost his life in an avalanche while snowmobiling with a friend earlier this month in Utah.
An avalanche, a swift flow of snow down a mountain, hill, or steep incline, can be triggered from below or at a distance. The risk of avalanches heightens during certain times of the year, especially when fresh snowfall lands atop a compacted snow base, rendering the newer snow unstable and provoking an avalanche.
Heavy snowfall coupled with strong winds can also lead to natural avalanches. However, the National Weather Service notes that manmade avalanches are far more prevalent. “In 90 percent of avalanche incidents, snow slides are triggered by the victim or someone in the victim’s party,” the NWS emphasizes. Tragically, avalanches claim over 150 lives worldwide each year.
Original article source: Massive 40-foot avalanche buries Idaho highway
