Talk:Tag:man made=snow fence

barrier=fence instead or in addition?

I imagine that these features are also a barrier=fence which prevents passage, so I would suggest using this tag too or instead. The tag barrier=fence is much more common --Jeisenbe (talk) 11:58, 26 July 2019 (UTC)

Snow Fence is ambiguous

The thing illustrated on the main page is an avalanche protection device (technically called a snow bridge), whereas there are also very many installations of true snow fences which are much more widespread as their function is to prevent snow drifting. They are often installed along roads & railways where there is a risk of wind-driven snow accumulation. They are engineered in quite different manners. Snow bridges need to physically support very large weights of snow (pack of 1-2 metres or more) whereas snow fences merely need to be lightly supported. Snow fences are upright, whereas snow bridges are strongly angled from the vertical. Both clearly act as barriers, but there are many grounds for separating their tagging. This article does not cross-reference the Avalanche Protection article either. SK53 (talk) 18:13, 28 December 2020 (UTC)

I agree. What is described and illustrated on the page are avalanche barriers, not snow fences. Avalanche barriers seem to be tagged barrier=avalanche_protection, which isn't ideal either because one could think that it also includes avalanche dams (natural=avalanche_dam). Could someone please fix this mess? Thanks. --Dafadllyn (talk) 19:08, 16 January 2021 (UTC)

Is the new photo better? Taken from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Snow_fences Mateusz Konieczny (talk) 19:53, 16 January 2021 (UTC)

No, that also looks like an avalanche barrier, which prevents large masses of snow from breaking loose (due to gravity) and sliding down the slope (forming an avalanche). In contrast, snow fences prevent snow from being drifted by the wind and covering roads or rail (see the illustration on this website). Unfortunately, nearly all images in commons:Category:Snow fences are avalanche barriers, not snow fences. Some exceptions are File:Kolná.JPG, File:Alberta snowfence 046.jpg, File:JC Penny warehouse Spanish Fork, Utah, Jul 15.jpg, File:Southwest at US-6 & US-89 junction in Spanish Fork, Utah, May 16.jpg (not visible very well) and the images found in commons:Category:Snow fences in Iceland. --Dafadllyn (talk) 20:28, 16 January 2021 (UTC)

PS: Two other images of snow fences: File:2007 10 Berninabahn 041210.jpg and File:2007 10 Berninabahn 041200.jpg. --Dafadllyn (talk) 20:33, 16 January 2021 (UTC)

So the same structure may be an avalanche barrier or snow fence depending on placement? See https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/File:Koln%C3%A1.JPG vs https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gro%C3%9Fglockner_Hochalpenstra%C3%9Fe_21082018_151.jpg Mateusz Konieczny (talk) 21:06, 16 January 2021 (UTC)

It's not only the placement that distinguishes them. Avalanche barriers are usually also more robust objects (often made of metal, with concrete foundations and deeply anchored) because they have to withstand greater forces (e.g. compare File:Zermatt - Avalanche barriers.jpg or File:Avalanche protection at the Grand Chavalard (20467378060).jpg with File:Picswiss NE-18-27.jpg or File:Fence on snowy mountain (Unsplash).jpg). --Dafadllyn (talk) 08:11, 17 January 2021 (UTC)

PS: This difference is also visible in your examples. --Dafadllyn (talk) 08:14, 17 January 2021 (UTC)