Yep. Lots of snow. It looks like it's wet and heavy stuff too. And of course once it's "worked" (by a snowplow, avalanche, etc.) it turns into a sort of concrete.

But I still suspect there's more to the narrative than we know. I know some people simply shut down when faced with a completely unfamiliar emergency situation. Even when there is a residence a snowball's throw away. Maybe that's the deal here?