avalanche

A snow avalanche. The sudden release of a large quantity of snow down a mountain slope. It is considered as such when the amount of snow displaced exceeds 100 m³ and travels a distance of more than 50 meters. It frequently drags rocks, earth, and other materials found in its path as it falls. The avalanche also displaces a large amount of air, giving rise to a cold, intense, and gusty wind, perceptible both ahead of the descending mass and along its sides. Avalanches are one of the most dangerous phenomena in mountainous areas. To anticipate their possible formation, apart from closely monitoring the evolution of meteorological conditions, snow pits are dug in the snowpack in sensitive areas, with a series of measurements taken that allow the drawing up of risk maps. There are three main types of avalanches: powder snow avalanches, slab avalanches, and melt or wet snow avalanches. Temperature and wind are the factors that most contribute to destabilizing the snowpack.