New snow (loose snow avalanches)

  1. Norwegian avalanche, flood and landslide hazard warnings
  2. Avalanche bulletins
  3. Avalanche problems
  4. New snow (loose snow avalanches)

Be careful near terrain traps and in large steep slopes until the new snow has stabilized. for danger Level 3: Avoid terrain traps and large steep slopes until the new snow has stabilized.

Move gradually away from the fall line when skiing on large slopes to avoid to be caught by small sluffs you released while skiing.

The avalanche problem is generally widely distributed on any steep slope with deep new snow.

Characteristics

  • The avalanche problem is related to current or most recent snowfall.
  • Releases in unbound loose snow.
  • The avalanche starts in a point, gets wider on its way down. Formed loke a drop.
  • This kind of avalanches are most often small, but can get a lot bigger on its way down large slopes if entraining a lot of snow. 
  • Loose snow avalanches can trigger larger slab avalanches if weak layers exist deeper in the snowpack.

 

Spatial distribution

  • the problem is generally widely present and often in all aspects
  • release of dry loose snow avalanches most often occur in terrain steeper than 40 degrees

 

Release characteristics

  • Lack of cohesion between the new snow particles

 

Duration

  • Stabilizes quite fast, duration typically during snowfall and up to a few days after, dependin gon temperature and radiation.

 

Identification of the problem 

  • The new snow problem is fairly easy to recognize.
  • Watch out for new snow amounts on steep rock and recent avalanche activity

 

Dry loose avalanche in Sogndal, Anestølsvannet. Photo: Birgit Rustad