A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Altitude: Like elevation, altitude is the distance above sea level

Aspect: The direction a slope faces with respect to the sun

B

Back country: Refers to any area outside of resort boundaries that is not patrolled by rescue teams or cleared of avalanche dangers. Skiing or snowboarding here takes place at your own risk; it’s a place for knowledgeable experts.

C

Cohesion less snow: loose snow, that isn’t compact.

Cornice: A deadly attraction to the mountains.An overhang of snow caused by constant wind; fun to launch from, but also dangerous as they can snap off at any time.

D

Depth Hoar: A weak layer of snow buried at the bottom of the snowpack. It forms due to a large temperature gradient from the ground below and the snowpack above.

E

Entrain: The process by which surface sediment is incorporated into a fluid flow, such as air, water or ice, as part of erosion.

F

Faceted Snow: A weak layer of snow formed by changing temperatures in the snowpack, known as temperature gradients. The temperature changes force the snow to change shape and get smaller, meaning it bonds poorly with other grains, therefore becoming a weak layer.

G

H

I

J

K

L

 Layer(s): As snow falls in different densities, a cake type effect is formed as the snowpack. So thin layers rest on top of thicker, stronger layers.

Leeward:Wind erodes snow from the windward (upwind) side of an obstacle and deposits snow on the leeward (downwind) side. Deposited snow looks smooth and rounded. (See Windward)

Loose snow avalanche: A type of avalanche that begins from a single point on a slope, then gathers more snow from the surface of the snowpack as it descends. These avalanches often occur in an inverted V shape on the slope.They fracture beneath you as you cross the slope, instead of above you.

M

Meteorological conditions: The prevailing environmental conditions as they influence the prediction of weather

N

O

P

Powder/Pow: Fresh, dry and light snow that many skiers and boarders go out of their way to find. It’s known as the Holy Grail of snowsports. Large amounts of the stuff make for epic skiing conditions.

Powder hound: A person who only goes on a hunt for fresh powder snow while they are skiing or snowboarding.

Q

R

S

Saltation: A way in which sediment is carried by the wind. It is bounced along the surface.

Ski Patrol: Every ski resort has a ski patrol team who take care of accidents and emergencies across the slopes.

Slab Avalanche: When stronger snow lies over weaker snow, this is called a slab. Soft slab avalanches can form anywhere on a slope where there is sufficient snowfall and are undetectable from powder snow. They are usually small slides which break directly under a skier or snowboarder.

Snowpack: A mass of snow compressed and hardened by its own weight. The slope beneath your skis is one large snowpack of different layers. (See layers)

Surface Hoar: Frost that grows on the surface of the snow. It can be brushed off as you touch the slope with your glove. It’s a very weak layer of snow within the snowpack and poses as a very dangerous threat to backcountry skiers once it has been buried by a stronger layer.

Suspension: A way in which sediment is carried by the wind. Strong winds pick up large sediments and carry them across the slope.

T

U

Unstable layer: Having a slab on a weak layer that’s on top of a good sliding surface constitutes an unstable snowpack.

W

Weak Layers: A layer of thin, fragile snow that creates instabilities within the snowpack. These layers are made up of grain types such as faceted snow, surface hoar or depth hoar (see each or click here). A weak layer could also be formed within new, low density snow.

Wind Slab: What direction the slope faces with respect to the wind.

Windward:Wind erodes snow from the windward (upwind) side of an obstacle and deposits snow on the leeward (downwind) side. Deposited snow looks smooth and rounded. (See Leeward)

X

Z