Three Skiers Die in Avalanche in French Alps
A backcountry avalanche in the Savoie region of the French Alps on Friday, February 13, 2026, claimed the lives of three skiers, authorities said. The incident underscores the extreme avalanche risk currently present in the area following significant snowfall.
According to a statement from the Val-d’Isère ski resort, six skiers were caught in the avalanche, four of whom were with a professional guide. “Despite the rapid intervention of rescue services, three victims have died. They were all equipped with avalanche safety systems,” the resort stated. An investigation into the incident has been launched.
The area had been hit with heavy snowfall Thursday as storm Nils passed through France, with 60 to 100 centimeters of fresh snow falling, and even more on the Mont Blanc massif, according to Météo-France.
Météo-France had issued a rare red avalanche warning for Savoie throughout Thursday – only the third such warning in the country in the last 25 years. Several Alpine ski areas responded by closing either fully or partially for the day in response to the heightened danger.
As of Friday, the avalanche risk remained “strong” (a 4 on a scale of 5) across much of the French Alps, and “the snowpack is highly unstable, especially above 1,800-2,000 meters,” Météo-France warned. “Avalanches are therefore easy to trigger by a skier or hiker, and can mobilize very large volumes of snow.”
