‘Chilling footage of man buried headfirst in snow emerges as ‘whiteout’ blizzard approaches US | US News’

A video showing the dramatic rescue of a snowboarder from deep snow has been released as a warning ahead of an expected blizzard bringing “whiteout conditions” to western America.

Ski California, a non-profit trade association, shared the footage as part of an informative and potentially life-saving video on what to do if someone falls into deep snow or encounters someone who has.

The Sierra Nevada mountain range is expected to receive over 8ft of snow due to a storm starting on Thursday, according to the association representing 35 ski resorts in California and Nevada.

The region could experience the biggest three-day snowfall in over three years, as reported by weather forecaster Open Snow.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for parts of the Sierra Nevada due to a major winter storm causing whiteout conditions.

Significant blowing and drifting snow, with travel becoming impossible, is expected in the Sierra Nevada due to strong winds, as stated by the NWS.

Over 5ft of snow is forecasted in higher regions with the blizzard warning in effect from 4am local time on Thursday until 10am Sunday.

The video shared by Ski California on social media features real rescue footage, including a snowboarder being rescued from deep snow by a skier in Washington state.

The educational video, featuring US Olympian skier Travis Ganong, warns of the dangers of snow immersion suffocation and provides tips on avoiding such incidents.

Advice includes skiing with a partner, wearing a helmet, and carrying a whistle for alerting others when in deep snow. If caught in deep snow, the video recommends shouting for help, keeping the head above the snow, avoiding struggling, and keeping the airways clear.

Since 2001, California has seen more snow immersion deaths than any other state, according to the association.