Understanding the potential hazards are important to identifying them in preparation, avoiding and taking preventive or reactive measures.

Avalanche

There are two main types of avalanches; sluff avalanches and slab avalanches are further characterised by wet or dry conditions.

Summary of avalanche characteristics

(Photo Credit: West and Howard - Fig 7j.9 - Summary table of avalanche types (row headers) and their characteristics (column headers))

Wind

Wind speeds affect the stability and density of snow and may also unexpectedly push individuals off-track leading into dangerous obstacles or other hazards. High winds also affect the visibility and combined with temperature, the wind chill effect. There also only needs to be 14 km/h of wind to exhibit blowing snow which leads to reduced visibility

Visibility

Reduced visibility can be hazardous as it can obstruct view from other potential hazards such as avalanches or even obstacles, steep slopes or cliffs.

Percipitation:

Heavy snowfall can severely reduce visibility

Blowing Snow:

Strong winds pick up the snow and visibility is limited to a few metres. Goggles are essential.

Cloud Block:

reduces visibility due to the elevation of the clouds. When the elevation of the cloud is at ground level, this is know as a fog and when this limited visibility is extreme, it is known as a white-out.

(Photo Credit: Jeffrey SwansonLinks to an external site.)

Fog:

When inside of a cloud due to being at the same elevation as the individual in the mountains Or when the cloud elevation is at ground level.

(Photo Credit: Boba Jovanovic)

White-out:

When all that an individual is able to see is mostly white. 

(Photo Credit: Nadia Matos/CTV KitchenerLinks to an external site.)

Temperature:

With the right gear, low temperatures can be easily dealt with. However, the phenomenon of wind chill with low temperatures in addition to high winds can unexpectedly become a concern very quickly. When our bodies are unable to deal with these extremely low temperatures, we risk having frostbite or hypothermia. Warm clothing is essential.

Frostbite:

Occurs with the freezing of the skin.

(Photo Credit: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/frostbite/symptoms-causes/syc-20372656Links to an external site.)

Hypothermia:

Occurs when our body loses heat faster than it can produce heat.

(Photo Credit: https://www.watchandride.com/blog/snowboard-optimisation/hypothermia/Links to an external site.)

Wind Chill:

The apparent temperature instead of the actual temperature, based on what we feel from the combination of wind and temperature. Our own perception can also be altered by gear that we wear and state of mind, we might not even realise until it is too late. 

(Photo Credit: http://www.candac.ca/candac/Outreach/Teacher_Resources_Index/tri/31.pdfLinks to an external site.)