Avalanche Hazard Assessment in Low Mountains, Based on the Example of the January 2021 Norilsk Avalanche Disaster

This paper presents the reconstruction results of catastrophic avalanche characteristics. The avalanche occurred on the slope of the Gora Otdelnaya ski resort on January 9, 2021 (Norilsk). It had a peak pressure of 0.266 MPa and led to the destruction of a suburban settlement, covering an area of about 0.9 ha. Six people got caught in the avalanch, of whom three were killed. The virtual and calculated boundaries of the maximum avalanche run-out distance are given. The causes of the catastrophe are also under investigation. An avalanche hazard assessment methodology for the Russian Arctic region and other poorly studied areas with no long-term avalanche observations is suggested.