Item: PHOTOGENIC AVALANCHES: WHAT MAKES AN OBSERVER PHOTO USEFUL FOR ESTIMATING AVALANCHE SIZE?
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Title: PHOTOGENIC AVALANCHES: WHAT MAKES AN OBSERVER PHOTO USEFUL FOR ESTIMATING AVALANCHE SIZE?
Proceedings: Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Whistler, BC, Canada, 2026
Authors:
- Andy Moderow [ Alaska Avalanche School, Anchorage, AK, USA ]
- Jeremiah Lance [ Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA ]
- Ben Crosier [ Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA ]
- Eva Lotosuo [ Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA ]
Date: 2026-09-28
Abstract: People entering the backcountry rely on avalanche forecasts for up-to-date knowledge about the avalanche hazard. In return, backcountry travelers support avalanche forecast centers by sharing their snowpack and avalanche observations on public observation platforms. These submissions often include photos in addition to written information. Avalanche centers in southcentral Alaska get hundreds of photos of avalanches seasonally from the public and professionals recreating in the forecast area. Avalanche forecasters then use these photos to assess avalanches they have not seen firsthand, though these photos are not always as informative as they could be. Our main objective is to identify the photo characteristics that best support avalanche size estimation, so that destructive potential can be estimated accurately, consistently, and reliably from observational photos. As a proof of concept, we distributed an online survey to 13 professional public avalanche forecasters in Alaska and asked them to estimate the size of ten avalanches using public observation photos. In addition to size, forecasters also described the photo qualities that helped with sizing, their confidence in their assessment, and their prior knowledge of the pictured avalanche or slope. In this pilot phase, we found that reference objects played a major role in supporting sizing consistency between professionals, and that photo angle/completeness – including a clear view of the crown, track, and debris – supported more confidence and consistency in size assessments. In the coming season we plan to collect additional data to build on these preliminary findings, to identify best practices for observers when photographing avalanches. This guidance could be utilized by avalanche forecast centers to educate public observers on how to take higher-quality photos and thereby improve forecasters' ability to estimate avalanche size from images.
Object ID: ISSW2026_P2.56.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15788/1790099049
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Andy Moderow
Keywords: Avalanche forecasting, avalanche size, observations, photos
Page Number(s): 2192 - 2197
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