Russian soldiers fire artillery at a snow-loaded mountainside in North Ossetia, to bring the snow down in an avalanche. The footage, released by euronews’ No Comment service in 2014, shows one of the oldest tools of avalanche control: bring the snow down on purpose, at a time you choose, before it falls on its own.
Why armies and road crews shoot at snow
Avalanche control with explosives works by triggering smaller, less destructive slides so that snow cannot build up into a much larger hazard. Crews deliver the charges in several ways:
- Shelling: firing at the starting zone with a howitzer, recoilless rifle or air gun, as in this video.
- Helicopter bombing: dropping charges from the air.
- Hand charges: thrown or lowered into place by specialists.
- Remote installations: fixed units that detonate a gas or explosive charge above the snowpack. Avalanche Towers in Austria and Norway use solar-powered launchers holding 12 radio-controlled charges.
Each method balances the risk to the people doing the work against how well it reaches the terrain. Remote methods keep crews out of harm’s way, which matters most along roads and railways. Explosive control suits places where small avalanches are acceptable; where people live below, or where a large slide is possible, engineers rely on snow sheds, avalanche dams and other permanent defences.
Video: Russian soldiers create avalanche by firing artillery (published by No Comment TV).
Avalanches in North Ossetia
North Ossetia–Alania sits on the northern flank of the Greater Caucasus, and its mountain roads see heavy snow every winter. The most important is the Transcaucasian Highway, built by the USSR between 1971 and 1986 as an alternative to the older Georgian Military Road and Ossetian Military Road. It runs from Gori in Georgia through the Roki Tunnel under the main Caucasus ridge to Alagir in North Ossetia, and in winter it is often closed because of avalanche danger.
The army knows the hazard first-hand. On 8 January 2013 a powerful avalanche struck a motorised-rifle unit’s base on the northern slope near the Roki Tunnel, destroying the generator building, damaging the boiler house and bath house and pushing snow through barracks windows. Nobody was hurt, but lighting and heating were knocked out until nearby units sent tents, stoves, generators and firewood.
Avalanche safety around control work
Respect closures during control work: roads and trails below a target slope stay shut until the crew has fired, watched the result and cleared the debris. Off-piste skiers and hikers should check the regional avalanche forecast, carry a transceiver, probe and shovel, and learn the basics before heading out. Our guides to observing the snowpack in a pit and the logistics behind high-mountain activity are good places to continue.
Related reading
- A Car Recovered from an Opening in Lake Ice
- Avalanche Preparation: Training, Terrain, Equipment and Group Decisions
- Iain Stewart’s Avalanche Documentary: Stories and Snow Science
- East Vail Avalanche Rescue: The December 22, 2013 Footage
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