What are the most common causes of avalanches, in descending order of likelihood (where most likely is first)?
The most likely causes of avalanches, in order of likelihood, are:
- Increased snow loads during storms
- Erosion in the snowpack caused by storms
- Metamorphic changes in the snowpack such as melting due to weather or rain
- Earthquakes that trigger shifting in the snowpack
- Falling objects, such as rockfall and snowfall, can trigger avalanches
- Human triggers, such as skiers, snowmobiles, and controlled explosives.