"It generally takes just two ingredients to create dangerous conditions: A slope of 30 degrees or more and layers upon layers of snow. Extra pressure on top of that snowpack from weight, wind, rain, heavy snow or motion can cause some of the layers to shear off and slide downhill. Sometimes a slide happens in the form of loose snow, called a sluff. Sluffs account for only a small percentage of deaths and property damage from avalanches, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center."
"Other avalanches are made up of slabs, which happen when a large layer of snow breaks away. Those account for most fatalities. Another kind of avalanche occurs when wind creates a cornice of snow that hangs over a ridge or the edge of a steep slope. The overhang can collapse suddenly, catching anyone underneath or on top of it by surprise, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center."
An avalanche is a mass of snow moving down a slope, most common in wilderness areas. Dangerous conditions form when slopes reach about 30 degrees and when multiple snow layers create instability. Added pressure from weight, wind, rain, heavy snowfall or motion can cause layers to shear and slide. Avalanches include loose-snow sluffs and slab avalanches, with slabs causing most fatalities. Wind can form cornices that collapse unexpectedly. Movement and rapid weather changes can trigger slides, and roughly 90% of injurious or fatal slides are triggered by victims or companions. Checking forecasts, carrying proper gear, and getting training reduce risk.
Read at The Mercury News
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