Thanks to Charles “Meh”
http://vimeo.com/meheleventyone
for the heads up on this one

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.512992252073817.123121.158273977545648&type=1

An Italian guest had tremendous luck today at the Stubai Glacier. He and his well equipped buddies were skiing near the ski slopes near Piste #4 along a glacial moraine. He triggered a slab and was immediately buried a meter deep. His was unable to trigger his Airbag backpack. His comrades could locate him quickly and rescuers on the scene were able to intervene immediately. After about 12 minutes he was already unconscious. Fortunately, he recovered his consciousness. Despite safety equipment an avalanche should still considered potentially deadly event. The snowpack is to enjoy this winter with caution ...

Just a bit between the runs but a steepish pitch with no run-out. The snow profile shows a weak layer of facets at 70cm, probably buried surface hoar.

http://translate.google.fr/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http://lawinenwarndienst.blogspot.co.at/2013/01/nachtrag-zu-den-lawinenabgangen-mit.html

Slab broke on a large depth hoar layer at 35-40cm from the surface between harder melt-freeze crusts (so strong temperature gradient between these crusts). Victim spotted by rescue helicopter as a hand was sticking out of the debris.

In the second incident a Check skier was seriously injured. Here, too, depth hoar was (this time under a more or less pronounced wind crust crust) the cause of the avalanche. The avalanche was triggered in an apparently poorer snow area (at the end of the exit arrow). The slope is up to 40 °, is extremely steep, at about 3150m and is oriented towards the NE. TG is 2C over 15cm but may have been higher, certainly enough to form facets.

And a couple of ski touring fatalities in the

http://journalmetro.com/monde/216963/deux-skieurs-tues-dans-une-avalanche-en-italie/

in the Val di Fiemme in the Sud Tyrol region. Victims found after 10 hours but remains only recovered the next day.