Winter,Hazards,Prepared,Montan education Winter Hazards - Be Prepared

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Montana - “The Last Best Place” is a land of contrasts. We areblessed with high mountain ranges and deep fertile valleys, singingmountain brooks and raging rivers. The weather is, however, one of ourbiggest contrasts.Our seasons are dramatic. Gentle green days of spring, blazing heatof a summer sun, crisp clear days of autumn and then the cold. The graydays of sub-zero temperatures are our greatest challenge.Winter storms are the most life-threatening of any natural hazardMontanans face. Accurate statistics on winter related deaths are hardto tally, however Montana has one of the highest cold weather relateddeath counts in the nation. Numerous people succumb to hypothermia dueto extended exposure to the cold, traffic accidents on icy, snowcovered roads, heart attacks from overexertion and avalanche activity.Most residents of Montana prepare for winter. We celebrate winter.Montana is a sportsman’s paradise and for those who can’t wait to gosnowmobiling, skiing or ice fishing, winter is an anticipated event. Weknow the snow is coming, the wind will blow and temperatures willplummet. It’s just a matter of how cold it will get and how much snowwill accumulate.In preparation for winter, supplies are laid in, firewood cut andequipment and vehicles winterized. Old Man Winter, bring it on! We areready! Or so we would like to think.Life threatening problems tend to develop during record snowfalls orduring periods of deep cold. During a heavy, rapid snowfall the snowplows and sand trucks are overwhelmed and most roads become impassable.Ice storms or heavy wet snow brings down trees and power lines, roofscollapse under the snow load and water pipes freeze. Prolonged frigidtemperatures, especially when accompanied by fierce, bitter winds,create dangerous situations for people stranded outdoors or thosewithout heat, as when the power lines are down or the propane truckcan’t navigate the roads. Due to the remote locations where power linesoften go down, power outages of several days are not uncommon.Avalanches are significant hazards . Avalanches happen in a splitsecond, advancing with the force and speed of a freight train and canoften pose a serious threat to winter travelers and recreational usersof the back country. It is impossible for a skier or snowmobiler tooutrun an avalanche. An avalanche can move at speeds up to 200 miles anhour.There are two types of avalanches. A loose snow avalanche startsover a small area and grows in size as it crashes down the mountainface. Slab avalanches begin when a large mass of snow begins to slideat once. There will be a clearly marked fracture line where the snowmass breaks away. Slab avalanches are the most dangerous as they oftencontain boulders and huge blocks of snow and ice. Slab avalanches are athreat to snowmobilers and skiers. Unfortunately slab avalanches aremost often triggered by the victims themselves.The State of Montana Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan and Statewide Hazard Assessment - October 2004, describes an avalanche:“A mass of loosened snow, ice, and/or earth suddenly and swiftlysliding down a mountain. In practice, assumed to be a snow avalancheunless another term such as ice, rock, mud, etc is used. Synonymouswith "snow slide".Avalanches occur throughout the mountains of Montana and, to alimited extent, elsewhere in the state. Avalanche hazards most directlythreaten winter recreationists, homes and businesses in mountainousregions, and communication and transportation networks. Two ofMontana’s ski areas, Bridger Bowl and Big Sky, are respectively thesecond and fourth most avalanche-prone ski resorts in the entire UnitedStates.Of the major avalanche hazards, the interruption of communicationslines probably occurs most frequently. Places of highest hazard includeski areas, mountain passes and other areas where transmission linescross avalanche paths. In regions where important highways or railroadscross areas subject to frequent snow slides, losses resulting fromblocked roads, buried railroad tracks and destroyed bridges can reachinto the millions of dollars.The complex interaction of weather and terrain factors contributesto the location, size and timing of avalanches. In the absence ofdetailed scientific observation, any accumulation of snow on a slopesteeper than 20 degrees should be considered a potential avalanchehazard.The most certain sign of avalanche hazard is avalanche activity.Usually when one slope is hazardous, many of the nearby slopes are alsohazardous. The historical record shows numerous cases where rescueparties searching for avalanche victims themselves become victims ofthe same avalanche cycle.Knowledge and experience save lives. If you are ever caught in an avalanche there are some important things to try to remember:1. Immediately call out. If you have an emergency whistle, use it.2. If you are snowmobiling, discard all equipment and move away from your snowmobile.3. Make swimming motions.4. Attempt to stay on top of the snow flow and work your way to the side.5. Before you come to a stop, put your hands in front of your face and try to make an air pocket.6. Remain calm to conserve oxygen.