As a pedagogic measure I point to the nearest parking lot that has been cleared of snow. Usually that snow is lumped together in a huge heap of snow. I say: "Imagine being buried in something like that".

If you say, "nah, that heap of snow is 2 weeks old, that heap of ice has nothing to do with fresh avalanches". I say: Go visit the same parking lot after a snow fall, watch the machines clear the parking lot and see what the fresh, newly fallen snow looks like after it's been tumbled around and tossed into a huge pile. Imagine you're in that pile of freshly cleared snow...

Many avalanches occur in SMALL ravines and creecks with steep river banks. These can accumulate surprising amounts of snow when it's blowing. Because those banks are small no one supects they can be dangerous. The snow also disguises how steep that canyon or river bank really is. Which is why people get killed there.

With the increased popularity of off-piste skiing we've seen an increase in the number of skiers being caught in avalanches, often with fatal results.