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Avalanches are one of the deadliest natural disasters out there. They can strike before you even have a chance to get out of harms way. Avalanches have been nicknamed “the white death” because they kill so many, as stated in the book Avalanches by Nathan Aaseng. But the great part is that avalanches only occur between the months of December through April. Avalanches get their name from the word avalantse, which means “to alter or change”, which is stated in the book Dangerous natural phenomena by Missy Allen and Michel Peissel. Avalanches are nothing more than falling or sliding snow and sometimes rocks and other debris are mixed in. These large masses of falling snow can come down in many forms and ways as well. Avalanches are categorized in different types according to the way they fall and how much they bring down. The four basic types are; wet snow, slab, powder, and icefall. Wet snow avalanches occur in the spring time. They are caused by elevated temperatures. Slab avalanches are about the w