Can destroy a house
Very large avalanches can bury or destroy a car, damage a truck, destroy a wood frame house, or break a few trees. A typical D3 avalanche would fill a hockey rink with about 6 to 10 feet of debris (~1,000 tons of snow) and runs the length of about 10 football fields (~3,000 ft).
![](https://avalanche.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/D3_2-1-600x450.jpg)
The debris from a very large avalanche that started out of view in the clouds. Note the two skiers for scale. Credit: Flathead Avalanche Center
![](https://avalanche.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/D3-1-600x450.jpg)
A very large avalanche. This would destroy a wood frame house or a car parked in the path of the avalanche. Credit: Flathead Avalanche Center.