What does snowslide mean?
Snowslide refers to the movement or slide of a mass of snow down a mountainside or steep slope. It is used most often in North American English and commonly describes a focused release of snow, whereas avalanche can denote a wider range of mass movements involving snow, ice, rock, or debris. In reports of mountain weather, a snowslide may be described as large, powerful, or dangerous and may be associated with heavy snowfall, wind, rapid warming, or instability in the snowpack. The compound is formed transparently from snow and slide. For a general reader, snowslide is useful for emphasizing specifically the sliding action of snow rather than the broader category of an avalanche. The term is particularly relevant in avalanche education, descriptions of mountain hazards, and accounts of winter recreation, where precise terminology helps distinguish different kinds of slope failure.
nounA mass of snow that slides down a slope. The term is often used specifically for an avalanche consisting of snow.
- A mass of snow that slides or avalanches down a mountainside or other steep slope.
"A heavy snowstorm triggered a massive snowslide that blocked the mountain road."
"Officials closed the pass after a snowslide swept across the highway."
"The guide described a natural snowslide that had carved a deep channel into the slope."
The regular plural is used for individual snow movements.
"Recurring snowslides closed the trail for several days."
A snowslide is an avalanche's more literal name: it names what actually happens—the snow slides.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does snowslide come from?
Snowslide is a modern English compound formed from snow and slide, both of which are long-established words of Germanic origin. Snow comes from Old English snāw, while slide descends from Old English slīdan. The compound appears as a descriptive name for a mass of snow moving downslope and is closely related in meaning to landslide.
How snowslide is actually used
The word is used chiefly in North American English and is especially common in weather, mountain-safety, and winter-sports contexts. It overlaps with avalanche but is more explicitly limited to sliding snow.
Easily confused with snowslide
A snowslide refers specifically to sliding snow, whereas avalanche is the broader term for mass movements of snow, ice, rock, or debris down a slope.