How much snow is needed to cause a burial? I mean 5 inches on a 50 degree 500’ long slope or what? Is it safe to go if there is not the danger but not the snow?
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How much snow is needed to cause a burial? I mean 5 inches on a 50 degree 500’ long slope or what? Is it safe to go if there is not the danger but not the snow?
Depends on terrain. You could caught in a gully where snow piles up. A three inch slab could send you into a tree or rock... If there's danger, why risk it?
its always less than you think but like conundrum said, it really can depend on what the terrain would dish out in terms of consequences of a slide. Don't forget its not just about how much snow is on top of you but where it can push you (off a cliff, into a tree well, creek bed, etc.). But 4-6 inches of snow can create a nasty slab in itself or can trigger sympathetic slides in deeper terrain. I remember one slab in our avy class that went from a 4" crown face (depth) to something like 4 FEET later on down the face...:eek: So it can be about alot more than just the snow...