The most comprehensive text on avalanches ever published, the first edition (published by the US Forest Service) was considered THE resource on avalanches. Fully revised and rewritten, this second edition is the new authority on every aspect of avalanches, their formation, and their effects. The extensive text and illustrations are technical, yet accessible, and include the latest information, techniques, and research on understanding and surviving avalanches. Includes chapters on weather patterns and snow characteristics; types and properties of avalanches; terrain and motion; methods of observation, evaluation, and prediction; safety and rescue; and protection from potential avalanches. Backcountry Magazine - "This book has been the bible for avalanche workers since the first edition came out in 1953 ... If you ever start to feel cocky about your avalanche forecasting skills, sit down with this gem and I will guarantee that you will learn something new."