Deadly avalanche season

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - We are in the middle of an extremely dangerous avalanche year.

Last week was the deadliest week of US avalanches on record, and at least 15 people died.

A persistent weak snow layer, combined with last week's high winds and the new snow we are receiving Friday and Saturday make for very dangerous conditions. Especially this weekend.

Safety experts are warning us to stay out of areas prone to avalanches.

"Anybody going out door recreating whether they are backcountry skiing or snowboarding snowmobiling, snowshoeing should use extreme caution as they go out and recreate," ISU Outdoor Adventure Center director Justin Dayley said. "They probably should choose areas or terrain that helps mitigate that. This might be a great weekend if you are a snow shoer or cross country skier to go to something like the nordic center where they work on trails where the avalanche danger is mitigated."

Experts say even if you have avalanche safety equipment, it is not fail-safe.

Some of the people who were killed last week were using safety gear and thought they were staying in safe areas.

It's best during avalanche conditions to just to stay out of those areas completely.