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New snow (loose snow avalanches)

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.