Avalanche Formation

Snowpack formation

The snowpack consists of layers formed by:

• Variations in temperature, wind, humidity, etc. during storm events.
  
  
• Sun, wind, humidity, temperature, rain, etc. acting on the surface layers of the snow and changing them from their original form.
  
  
• Metamorphism of the sub-surface layers due to internal snowpack conditions (such as temperature, pressure, etc.).
  
  

Factors that drive change in the layers of the snowpack are always present; therefore the layers are constantly changing. This change can be rapid (e.g. freeze-thaw of the surface layers) or slow (e.g. long-term metamorphism of the sub-surface layers).

Avalanche Terrain