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The Major Snow Avalanche Cycle of February 1986 in the Western United States

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  • Karl Birkeland
  • Cary Mock

Abstract

Snow avalanches are a significant hazard in mountainous environments around the world. This paper investigates the major February 1986 avalanche cycle that occurred in the western United States, and broadly analyzes the avalanche, snowpack, and weather conditions at twenty sites. These analyses suggest that the avalanche cycle resulted from the interaction of a relatively `normal' snowpack with an exceptional storm event, which was particularly noteworthy for the amount of precipitation it produced. Composited 500-hPa anomaly maps show the event resulted from an uncommonly persistent blocking pattern that resulted in a strong zonal flow and copious moisture being funneled over the western United States. Understanding severe and widespread avalanche cycles may improve our long-term forecasting of these events, and help mitigate theresulting avalanche activity. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 2001

Suggested Citation

  • Karl Birkeland & Cary Mock, 2001. "The Major Snow Avalanche Cycle of February 1986 in the Western United States," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 24(1), pages 75-95, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:24:y:2001:i:1:p:75-95
    DOI: 10.1023/A:1011192619039
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    Cited by:

    1. Jakob Abermann & Markus Eckerstorfer & Eirik Malnes & Birger Ulf Hansen, 2019. "A large wet snow avalanche cycle in West Greenland quantified using remote sensing and in situ observations," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 97(2), pages 517-534, June.
    2. Peter Höller, 2009. "Avalanche cycles in Austria: an analysis of the major events in the last 50 years," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 48(3), pages 399-424, March.
    3. Jeremy Spencer & Walker Ashley, 2011. "Avalanche fatalities in the western United States: a comparison of three databases," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 58(1), pages 31-44, July.

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