Tom's Avalanche Slope Maps

Welcome to Tom's Trip Reports and Tom's Avalanche Slope Maps.

I produce topographic maps with color contours of the slope angles most likely to slide, the 25° to 55° range. I have added a color for slopes in the 20-25° to show slopes that are fun to ski without being too flat or too steep.

Slopes in the 30-45° range are most likely to slide.

The colored bar graph shows the relative frequency 

of avalanches in 5° slope increments.

Using the color scheme from the above histogram or bar chart, I overlay contours showing the range of slopes on a USGS topographic map.

These maps are guides to steeper slopes, but not a predictor of avalanche occurrence. A number of other factors including aspect, wind, recent snowfall, temperature, old snowpack, topography, concavity, rock outcrops, and other conditions must be taken into account for safe backcountry travel.

http://tinyurl.com/tomsavymaps 
http://bit.ly/IaY24W 
http://is.gd/tomsavymaps

Mt Evans slope map from CalTopo.

Sundance slope map from CalTopo.

Loveland Pass Slope Map from CalTopo.