Can bury a person

Credit: Crested Butte Avalanche Center

Large avalanches can bury, kill, or injure a person. A typical D2 avalanche would fill the first floor of a large house with about 6 feet of debris (~100 tons of snow) and runs about the length of a football field.

A large slab avalanche that would easily bury, injure, or kill a person. Credit: Crested Butte Avalanche Center

The crown of a large slab avalanche. Credit: Sawtooth Avalanche Center

A large (D2) slab avalanche. Credit: Crested Butte Avalanche Center


Video of a large slab avalanche