Six skiers died in a series of avalanches across the French Alps over the weekend, despite high avalanche risk warnings from weather officials and strong advisories against off-piste skiing.
Three skiers were killed on Saturday, January 10, 2026, and three more died on Sunday, January 11, 2026, in separate incidents across the Savoie department and Haute-Savoie region. All victims were skiing off-piste when they were caught in the avalanches.
On Sunday, a British man aged approximately 50 years old was buried while skiing off-piste at La Plagne. More than 52 rescue workers, along with avalanche dogs and a helicopter, were deployed to search for him. After 50 minutes of searching, rescue teams found the man buried under 2.5 meters of snow, but he could not be resuscitated.
Jean-Luc Boch, the mayor of La Plagne, said the beautiful weather misled skiers about the danger. “We have really had very beautiful weather today and that is what is behind these dramas,” Boch said, according to The Times. “People do not realise when they see these immaculate mountains and this magnificent snow covering that it can be dangerous.”
Another skier died in an avalanche at Courchevel on Sunday. Rescue teams recovered the body of the skier who had been buried in the avalanche, though resort officials provided few additional details about the incident.
In Vallorcine, located in the Haute-Savoie region, a 32-year-old off-piste skier died after being caught in an avalanche. The avalanche threw him against a tree, and he died from his injuries.
Saturday’s fatalities occurred at Val d’Isère and Arêches-Beaufort, both in the Savoie department. Two skiers died in Val d’Isère after being engulfed by an avalanche while skiing off-piste. Neither victim was equipped with avalanche transceivers, the electronic devices that help rescuers locate people buried in snow. Rescue workers located the victims via their mobile phone signals and found them buried under 2.5 meters of snow.
At Arêches-Beaufort, one skier died and another was seriously injured when an avalanche struck. The injured skier and the victim were both airlifted to a hospital. The seriously injured person had been partially visible in the snow, with only their head protruding from the avalanche debris when rescuers arrived.
The deaths occurred despite warnings from Météo France, the French national weather service, which had issued alerts about a high risk of avalanches throughout the weekend. The avalanche danger was rated at Level 4 on the European avalanche danger scale, which ranges from 1 to 5. At this level, the passage of even a single skier can trigger large-scale avalanches.
Officials in the Savoie department recorded at least six avalanches in the region’s ski areas on Sunday morning alone. Authorities strongly warned against off-piste skiing activities during this period of elevated risk.
Marie Wencker, a local official, criticized skiers who ignored the warnings. Officials expressed frustration that skiers ventured off-piste despite the clear dangers, putting not only themselves but also rescue workers at risk during operations conducted in hazardous conditions.
The unstable snow conditions resulted from fresh snow not bonding properly with old snow beneath it. This created a weak snowpack structure that could easily collapse and trigger avalanches. The combination of recent heavy snowfall on top of an established but unstable base layer created particularly treacherous conditions across the Alps.
Additional injuries were reported at Tignes and Orelle, where separate avalanche incidents occurred over the weekend. While the full extent of these injuries was not disclosed, they added to the growing toll of avalanche-related casualties across the French Alps during this dangerous period.
The heavy snowfall that contributed to the avalanche danger also severely disrupted transportation across the region. Approximately 800 people were forced to shelter overnight in Moûtiers, a major transportation hub for accessing ski resorts in the Savoie department. The stranded travelers spent the night in emergency facilities as heavy snow made roads impassable.
The weekend’s tragedies underscore the critical importance of heeding avalanche warnings and avoiding off-piste skiing during periods of elevated risk. Avalanche safety experts consistently emphasize that Level 4 conditions represent serious danger, where even experienced backcountry skiers should exercise extreme caution or avoid uncontrolled terrain entirely.
Off-piste skiing refers to skiing outside marked and patrolled runs. While this type of skiing offers the appeal of fresh powder and unmarked terrain, it carries significantly higher risks than skiing on maintained pistes. Resort ski patrol teams cannot control avalanche hazards across the vast expanses of backcountry terrain, and skiers who venture into these areas assume full responsibility for their own safety.
Avalanche transceivers, also called beacons, are essential safety equipment for anyone venturing into avalanche terrain. These electronic devices transmit a signal that allows rescuers to locate buried victims far more quickly than visual searches alone. The fact that some victims in Val d’Isère lacked transceivers significantly hampered rescue efforts and likely reduced their chances of survival.
Modern avalanche safety protocols recommend that backcountry skiers carry not only transceivers but also shovels and probes, travel in groups, and possess training in avalanche rescue techniques. Even with proper equipment and training, however, experts recommend avoiding avalanche terrain when danger ratings reach Level 4 or higher.
The French Alps attract millions of skiers each winter to world-renowned resorts such as La Plagne, Courchevel, and Val d’Isère. These resorts offer extensive terrain for all skill levels, including marked runs that are regularly maintained and monitored for safety. The appeal of pristine off-piste terrain, however, continues to draw experienced skiers beyond the boundaries of controlled areas, sometimes with tragic consequences.
Avalanche forecasting has become increasingly sophisticated, with meteorologists and snow scientists analyzing multiple factors including recent snowfall amounts, wind patterns, temperature changes, and the structure of the existing snowpack. Despite these advances, predicting exactly when and where avalanches will occur remains challenging, making it essential for skiers to respect warning systems and avoid high-risk terrain during dangerous periods.
The weekend’s fatalities serve as a somber reminder that mountain environments demand respect and caution. When weather services and local authorities issue high avalanche risk warnings, these advisories are based on careful analysis of current conditions and represent serious threats to human life. The decision by some skiers to ignore these warnings over the weekend resulted in six deaths and multiple injuries, along with dangerous rescue operations that put emergency responders at risk as well.
Sources:
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2026/01/12/french-alps-avalanches-kill-at-least-6-skiers_6749309_114.html
https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/avalanche-deaths-france-val-disere-lg5twlw7m?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqczlkpPKtv2kT7c6-gY6yjaMSUopluqyDqMGd6fGgEsZkjZCX54yiY0&gaa_ts=6967e2ca&gaa_sig=gpTwX3tWslk9Zni73xFkuuB_MIwCeTpi5ASpUgqET_SSaOwYU3cYDJgsWwZ2EZid2bDtdOMbLPa27KHPcdrd5Q%3D%3D
https://www.connexionfrance.com/news/six-skiers-including-a-briton-die-in-french-alps-after-weekend-avalanches/763534
https://snowbrains.com/deadly-weekend-in-france-as-6-skiers-die-in-numerous-separate-avalanche-incidents/
https://watchers.news/2026/01/13/deadly-avalanches-strike-the-french-alps-leaving-six-dead-in-savoie-resorts/
https://planetski.eu/2026/01/11/british-skier-is-one-of-six-to-die-in-avalanches-in-french-alps-this-weekend/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/avalanches-french-alps-kill-another-221321849.html
