Washington State-- An avalanche in Washington killed all but one of four professional skiers.
The surviving skier, Elyse Saugstad was saved by an "air-bag" she kept in her backpack.
This device has been a life saver for other skiers caught in avalanches. When the skier pulls the ripcord, a massive tube inflates around the person's neck serving as protection and a way to keep their head above snow.
"I was completely buried except for my head and hands" after coming to a rest, said Saugstad. She immediately activated her air-bag when she recognized the trouble she was in, crediting it to saving her life.
Megan Michelson, an editor for ESPN Freeskiing, was one of 13 people with the group that ventured out of bounds at the popular resort canyon. She said that the skiers caught in the avalanche were dragged about a quarter of a mile down the mountain.
Michelson and the people she was with were all prepared for emergency situations, but were unable to revive three of the skiers with CPR. The men who died were believed to be in their 30s and 40s.
Stevens Pass is in the Cascade Mountains, about 80 miles northeast of Seattle.
Initial reports of the avalanche reached the sheriff's office just after noon, and for some time it wasn't clear whether the other skiers had also been swept up in the slide.
The Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center on Sunday issued a warning for high avalanche danger for areas above 5,000 feet, saying warmer weather could loosen surface snow and trigger a slide on steeper slopes. The elevation of the avalanche wasn't immediately clear.
At mid-afternoon, the temperature at the base of the Stevens Pass ski resort was 24 degrees, with light winds and good visibility. The temperature at the top of the mountain was 22 degrees, according to the resort's website.
John Gifford, the ski area's general manager, said Sunday that the resort had received 19 inches of snow in the past 24 hours.
He described the area as a popular backcountry skiing zone that can be easily accessed from the resort.
He said the slopes there are steeper than at the resort and lack the resort's avalanche control
"You need to be a highly skilled skier to do that," he said.
Stevens Pass is one of the most popular outdoor recreation areas in the state, with visitors flocking to the scenic site to go cross-country, back-country and downhill skiing, as well as snowshoeing and backpacking.
It's been a deadly winter in Washington's mountains. Four people disappeared in vicious storms while camping and climbing on Mount Rainier last month. The four remain missing, and authorities have said they're hoping to find their bodies when the snow melts this summer.
Across the West, there had been 13 avalanche deaths this season as of Thursday, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, which tracks avalanche deaths in the U.S.
Experts have said the risk of additional slides in the region could remain high all season. They attribute the dangers in part to a weak base layer of snow caused by a dry winter.
Avalanche deaths are more common in the backcountry than at ski resorts. Out of about 900 avalanche deaths nationwide since the winter of 1950-51, 32 were within terrain that was open for riding at ski resorts, according to the Utah Avalanche Center.
Also Sunday, King County Sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West said a snowboarder was killed in a separate incident at the Alpental ski area east of Seattle. The snowboarder, a man, went over a cliff.