They named it Jones County after John Paul Jones, the early American Naval hero who rose from humble Scottish origin to military success during the American Revolution. Ellisville, the county seat, was named for Powhatan Ellis, a member of the Mississippi Legislature who claimed to be a direct descendant of Pocahontas.
An avalanche occurs when the stress (from gravity) trying to pull the snow downhill exceeds the strength (from bonds between snow grains) of the snow cover. Four conditions must be present for an avalanche to occur: 1  a steep slope. 2  a snow cover. 3  a weak layer in the snow cover. 4  a trigger.
Science Articles & Cool Facts. Fact: High Speed Avalanches. Although an avalanche can mean the fall of any material e.g. snow, soil and even rocks, in common usage it generally refers to a falling mass of ice and snow which breaks away from the side of a mountain or cliff and surges down at great speed. So how fast do they really travel ? Well a dry snow avalanche can travel at speeds of up to 225 mph with a force equaling that of a hurricane. Whatâs more interesting is that as the powdery snow hurtles downhill a further blast of air just as destructive may be sent out ahead of the avalanche.