Ahead of big storm, Ski California expands safety education efforts with new ‘Deep Snow Safety’ video

Ski California is expanding the content available as part of its award-winning Mountain Safety Guide with the upcoming release of its newest video focused on deep snow safety. Created to educate skiers and riders about the risks of deep snow immersion, how to avoid it, and what to do if you or someone you’re with becomes immersed, the video was released Monday.

“Ski California’s 36 member resorts in California and Nevada regularly see storm totals that are measured in feet, not inches,” said Mike Reitzell, Ski California president. “Our goal with this video, the fifth in our Mountain Safety Guide series, is to educate skiers and riders about what they need to do and be aware of to avoid deep snow immersion situations that can be life-threatening.”

Snow immersion suffocation can happen when a skier or rider falls into deep snow or a tree well, cannot move and suffocates. Tips for skiing and riding in deep snow include:

- Always ski or ride with a partner and stay in control.

- Avoid tree wells by looking at the open spaces between trees, not at the trees.

- Keep your partner in sight and stay close enough to pull or dig out if either person falls.

- Use safety equipment to minimize risks, including a helmet, fully charged phone with fast access to the ski patrol’s number, a beacon, and a whistle.

The Ski California deep snow video, produced by Generikal Design, features retired Olympian, World Cup Champion, and professional skier Travis Ganong and actual rescue video footage from Francis Zuber and Riley Flynn.

As Ski California’s member resorts in Tahoe gear up for another series of storms anticipated to arrive the first week of March, the relevance of deep snow safety education is fitting.

View the Ski California Mountain Safety Guide at safety.skicalifornia.org and take the quiz at the end for a chance to win an unrestricted 2024-25 Ski California Gold Pass valid at 36 downhill and cross-country resorts in California and Nevada. Watch Ski California’s complete series of Mountain Safety Guide educational videos here.