This week on "Sunday Morning" (February 28)

Host: Jane Pauley

WATCH THE FULL FEBRUARY 28 EPISODE!

COVER STORY: The danger of avalanches: Will 2021 be the worst year ever? | Watch VideoIn Western states this winter's weather has produced snowpack conditions that are making avalanches even more threatening than usual. Correspondent Serena Altschul talks with experts about the conditions that create avalanches and how to make wise choices in the backcountry.

For more info:

Colorado Avalanche Information Center, Boulder, Colo. Utah Avalanche CenterNational Avalanche CenterFor more about how to set safely out in the backcountry in winter, please find an American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education course near youSun Valley Ski Patrol, Sun Valley, IdahoSun Valley Guides, Ketchum, Idaho"Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain" by Bruce Tremper (Mountaineers Books), in Trade Paperback and eBook formats, available via Amazon and IndieboundBruce Tremper PhotographyChristopher Marshall, AMGA/IFMGA Mountain GuideAnimation by J. Gaume et al.

David Pogue investigates the latest mask science.  / Credit: CBS News
David Pogue investigates the latest mask science. / Credit: CBS News

CORONAVIRUS: The evolving science of masks (Video)How can you tell if the mask you're wearing is protective enough against the coronavirus? Correspondent David Pogue volunteers as a test subject to see how N95s work and learns about the science of face coverings.

For more info:

James Dickerson, Chief Scientific Officer, Consumer Reports3M

Bob Ross, the host of the classic instruction series
Bob Ross, the host of the classic instruction series

ART: The enduring popularity of artist Bob Ross | Watch VideoIn the 1980s and '90s Bob Ross hosted the public television series "The Joy of Painting" until his death in 1995 at age 52. But ever since, the artist's instructions in how to paint "happy little trees" have only grown more popular. Correspondent Lee Cowan looks back at the canvas of Ross' career and the big picture of his life lessons.

For more info:

bobross.comThe Bob Ross Experience: Minnetrista"The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross" (YouTube)

Correspondent Mo Rocca visits actor-producer LeVar Burton, who earned 12 Emmy Awards for the literacy series
Correspondent Mo Rocca visits actor-producer LeVar Burton, who earned 12 Emmy Awards for the literacy series

SUNDAY PROFILE: LeVar Burton on the good that television can do | Watch VideoWhen LeVar Burton switched his career ambitions from the seminary to the stage, his first audition was for the TV miniseries "Roots," which brought him instant fame as the enslaved Kunta Kinte. Since then the actor became renowned for his role in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and as host of the PBS literacy series "Reading Rainbow." Correspondent Mo Rocca talks with Burton about the broad sweep of his career, including his podcast, "LeVar Burton Reads."

For more info:

levarburton.comLeVar Burton Reads (Podcast)Follow LeVar Burton on Twitter and Instagram"Roots" available on Amazon Prime"Star Trek: The Next Generation" on cbs.comreadingrainbow.org"This is My Story: Part 1" (YouTube)

PASSAGE: In memoriam (Video)"Sunday Morning" remembers some of the notable figures who left us this week, including poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, founder of the landmark San Francisco bookstore City Lights.

Actress Ellen Pompeo, star of
Actress Ellen Pompeo, star of

TELEVISION: Ellen Pompeo on the future of "Grey's Anatomy" | Watch VideoFor 17 seasons actress Ellen Pompeo has starred in the longest-running primetime medical drama on American TV. But now her character on "Grey's Anatomy," Dr. Meredith Grey, has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Will she, and the show, survive? Correspondent Tracy Smith reports.

For more info:

"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)Follow Ellen Pompeo on Twitter and Instagram

HARTMAN: Best friends (Video)When Brian Meyers adopted Sadie, a German Shepherd, from Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge in New Jersey, he may have thought he was rescuing her. But Sadie rescued Brian instead. Correspondent Steve Hartman reports.

For more info:

Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, Oakland, N.J.

Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo, two founding members of The 5th Dimension. / Credit: CBS News
Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo, two founding members of The 5th Dimension. / Credit: CBS News

MUSIC: Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. continue to let the sun shine in! | Watch VideoCorrespondent Nancy Giles goes up, up and away with two of The 5th Dimension's founding members, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., whose music brought joyful harmonies to the tumultuous '60s and '70s, and who will soon release their first studio album in three decades, "Blackbird: Lennon-McCartney Icons," featuring classic Beatles love songs.

Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. perform The Beatles' "Blackbird":

BUSINESS: Female McDonald's employees accuse fast-food chain of abuse, harassment in workplace | Watch VideoDozens of women have filed complaints alleging workplace abuse, discrimination and harassment by male co-workers at one of America's largest, most iconic fast-food restaurant chains. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty talks with current and former female employees of McDonald's and its franchisees who are speaking out about their claims of serial harassment.

For more info:

McDonald's Gillian Thomas, ACLU Women's Rights ProjectEve Cervantez, Altshuler Berzon LLPFight for 15

COMMENTARY: Pandemic anniversary – Jim Gaffigan marks one year of lockdown | Watch VideoThe comedian ponders the perfect anniversary gift, to mark the passing of a year in which time did NOT fly by.

For more info:

jimgaffigan.comFollow @JimGaffigan on Twitter

NATURE: Snowy Owls (Extended Video)"Sunday Morning" pays a visit to some snowy owls on Plum Island, Massachusetts. Videographer: Michael Clark.

WEB EXCLUSIVE:

THE BOOK REPORT: Reviews of new releases by Washington Post book reviewer Ron Charles | Watch VideoWashington Post book critic Ron Charles checks out some of the latest titles to recommend, including "Klara and the Sun" by Nobel Prize-winner Kazuo Ishiguro, and "Under a White Sky" by Elizabeth Kolbert.

BOOK EXCERPT: "Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro

BOOK EXCERPT: "Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future" by Elizabeth Kolbert

BOOK EXCERPT: "Fake Accounts" by Lauren Oyler

BOOK EXCERPT: "The Committed" by Viet Thanh Nguyen

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