This article is about:
With the avalanche bulletin, the avalanche warning services inform the public about the snow and avalanche situation in their assessment areas. The content of the avalanche bulletin has the character of a warning. It is published at regular intervals in winter and contains the description of the avalanche danger as the most important information. The avalanche bulletin also contains information on the influences of the weather relevant to avalanches and the condition of the snow cover snowpack. This information serves as a basis for users to assess the avalanche situation.
However, the information in the avalanche bulletin cannot replace an independent assessment of the current situation on site. The information is not specific enough for this, due to the limited data basis and its resolution. The avalanche bulletin therefore primarily fulfills the role of a planning tool.
The term avalanche bulletin is now considered outdated, as most avalanche warning services in Europe currently issue a forecast of the avalanche danger. This is why the term avalanche forecast is now more commonly used, sometimes also referred to as an avalanche bulletin, avalanche report or avalanche report. Most avalanche warning services issue daily avalanche forecasts that are valid for certain areas and for a certain period of time. This period of validity is usually 24 to 48 hours.
An avalanche forecast contains details about the avalanche danger, avalanche problems, behavioural recommendations, weather forecasts and relevant information about snow layering in order to minimize the avalanche risk on a tour or when skiing away from the secured ski area. The avalanche reports published in Europe are available at www.avalanches.org .
01
Information pyramid
Even if the design and communication method of avalanche reports in Europe appear different at first glance, they are all based on the same content framework. This framework follows the principle of the information pyramid, i.e. important but very general information, e.g. the danger level, is communicated very prominently first. More detailed and specific information is only provided later on.
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The Euregio Avalanche Report of the European Region Tyrol – South Tyrol – Trentino
The avalanche forecasts for the European region of Tyrol – South Tyrol – Trentino are structured as follows:
Areas with the same avalanche risk situation are also grouped together across borders by the avalanche warning officers. It is also possible to respond to changes in the situation depending on the time of day (earlier | later).
Overview of the prevailing hazard levels
Detailed overview of a region
Risk assessment
Snow cover snowpack and trend
03
Avalanche reports from Bavaria, Vorarlberg, Salzburg and other federal states
The avalanche reports of other federal states and provinces contain the same information as described above. Only the presentation differs from the Euregio Avalanche Report atwww.lawinen.report. The three parameters of the EAWS matrix are not explicitly mentioned for each avalanche problem, but nevertheless play a role in the assessment of avalanche danger.
04
The avalanche bulletin from Switzerland
There are important differences between the Swiss avalanche bulletin and the reports from Austria, Italy and Germany, which we would like to point out briefly.
The following content comes from the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF and can be read in detail here.
Hazard levels with intermediate levels:
In the case of danger from dry avalanches, the SLF subdivides the European danger levels from level 2 (moderate) with intermediate levels. These indicate whether the danger is estimated to be in the lower range (-), roughly in the middle (=) or in the upper range (+) of the danger level.
6 Avalanche problems:
In addition to the 5 typical avalanche problems, the optional avalanche problem“No pronounced avalanche problem” is also used in Switzerland.