safety system_error ai_generated partial

AI tells a backcountry skier that a slope under 30 degrees is safe from avalanches on a High (Level 4) danger day, or that trees prevent avalanches

ID: safety/avalanche-slope-angle-misjudgment

Also available as: JSON · Markdown · 中文
80%Fix Rate
86%Confidence
1Evidence
2024-01-05First Seen

Version Compatibility

VersionStatusIntroducedDeprecatedNotes
CAIC Avalanche Forecast 2024 active — — —
NWAC Danger Scale 2023 active — — —
AIARE 1 Curriculum 2024 active — — —

Root Cause

Avalanches can occur on slopes as low as 25 degrees under high danger conditions (Level 4); trees do not prevent avalanches and can actually increase risk due to tree-well hazards and weak snowpack layers.

generic

中文

在高度危险条件（4级）下，雪崩可在低至25度的斜坡上发生；树木不能防止雪崩，反而可能因树井危险和薄弱雪层增加风险。

Official Documentation

https://avalanche.org/avalanche-danger-scale/

Workarounds

  1. 80% success On High (Level 4) days, avoid all slopes over 25 degrees. Use a slope angle meter (inclinometer) app or tool to measure exactly. Stick to slopes under 20 degrees or flat terrain. 
    On High (Level 4) days, avoid all slopes over 25 degrees. Use a slope angle meter (inclinometer) app or tool to measure exactly. Stick to slopes under 20 degrees or flat terrain.
  2. 85% success Check the avalanche forecast from the local avalanche center (e.g., CAIC, NWAC) and look for 'persistent weak layer' or 'wind slab' problems. Do not rely on general danger ratings alone. 
    Check the avalanche forecast from the local avalanche center (e.g., CAIC, NWAC) and look for 'persistent weak layer' or 'wind slab' problems. Do not rely on general danger ratings alone.
  3. 90% success Carry and know how to use avalanche safety equipment: transceiver, probe, shovel. Practice beacon searches before heading out. Take an AIARE Level 1 course. 
    Carry and know how to use avalanche safety equipment: transceiver, probe, shovel. Practice beacon searches before heading out. Take an AIARE Level 1 course.

中文步骤

  1. On High (Level 4) days, avoid all slopes over 25 degrees. Use a slope angle meter (inclinometer) app or tool to measure exactly. Stick to slopes under 20 degrees or flat terrain.
  2. Check the avalanche forecast from the local avalanche center (e.g., CAIC, NWAC) and look for 'persistent weak layer' or 'wind slab' problems. Do not rely on general danger ratings alone.
  3. Carry and know how to use avalanche safety equipment: transceiver, probe, shovel. Practice beacon searches before heading out. Take an AIARE Level 1 course.

Dead Ends

Common approaches that don't work:

  1. 90% fail

    Assuming a 30-degree slope is always safe; on High danger days, even 25-degree slopes can slide, especially with wind loading or persistent weak layers.

  2. 85% fail

    Thinking trees stop avalanches; trees can be snapped or buried, and tree wells (voids around trunks) pose suffocation risks.

  3. 80% fail

    Relying only on the avalanche forecast without checking local snowpack (e.g., digging a pit); forecast is regional, not slope-specific.