Avalanches - Avalanches of Dry Snow

On February 23rd 1999, the most serious avalanche accident in the history of the Alps took place. 31 people died. A massive avalanche of dry snow devastated big parts of Galtür, a ski resort in Tyrol. This avalanche had an unforeseen power with a width of 500 m, the height of a 30-storied house (app. 100 m) and the top speed of a Formula-1 car (app. 350 km/h).

How does an avalanche form?

An avalanche of dry snow usually forms under conditions of powdery snow. These avalanches rush downhill with high speed (up to 350 km/h) and therefore often create a lot of damage. The cloud of snow is relatively lightweight itself, but creates a devastating blast. Windows are shattered, rooftops are lifted and even whole forests are knocked down. The destructive power of such an avalanche is equal to a small hurricane. Humans and animals have only a very small chance to survive in an avalanche of dry snow, because the mixture of snow and air gets into the lungs and causes death from suffocation. Even today, avalanches of dry snow are very unpredictable.

Some Rules to Protect Yourself from the Dangers of the Mountains

When doing winter sports, you have to observe 5 rules to avoid an avalanche:

• After a fresh snowfall, the first sunny day is especially dangerous.
• Heavy thaw increases the risk of an avalanche.
• Fresh snow + wind = risk of an avalanche
• The steeper and shadier a slope, the greater the risk of an avalanche
• Pay special attention if you see or hear avalanches elsewhere.

It is of great importance to inform yourself about the avalanche risk when you do sports in the mountains. You can listen to the radio, watch TV or call the avalanche warning service. The 5-part avalanche danger scale is very helpful as well.

A forest offers very good protection from avalanches. That’s why it is often called protective forest. Additionally, walls and fences are built on very steep slopes to reduce the avalanche risk.

However, sensible behaviour and the observation of warning signs are the best protection from the destructive power of avalanches. You not only protect yourself, but your fellow man as well!