Rare avalanche shuts down Pennsylvania road during winter storm

PENNSYLVANIA – A major winter storm triggered a rare avalanche in Pennsylvania that left a road impassible this weekend.

What we know:

Police issued an urgent traffic advisory that “significant snow slides” were falling onto Coxton Road, which is located in Duryea in Luzerne County, on Sunday.

Drivers were urged to avoid the road, and find an alternate route. The road has since reopened.

A photo posted by police appears to show several feet of snow piled onto the roadway.

The backstory:

The avalanche fell as a winter storm dumped several inches of snow across Pennsylvania.

Some of the highest accumulations of snow were recorded in Luzerne County, ranging from 12 to 16 inches.

Avalanche vs. snow slide

Dig deeper:

An avalanche is a mass of snow, rock, and/or ice falling down a mountain or incline.

In the United States, “snow slide” is commonly used to mean a snow avalanche, according to the NOAA.