Item: Users' Rating of the Swiss Avalanche Forecast
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Title: Users' Rating of the Swiss Avalanche Forecast
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop 2014 Proceedings, Banff, Canada
Authors:
- Kurt Winkler [ WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland ]
- Frank Techel [ WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland ]
Date: 2014-09-29
Abstract: User surveys are an important instrument to verify and improve quality and usability of avalanche warning products. In February 2014, we queried 2500 users and compared their ratings with the previous survey from 2008. The aim was to spot strengths and weaknesses of the Swiss avalanche warning products which were completely revised in 2012. The revision involved a new bulletin structure that follows the information pyramid as recommended by the European Avalanche Warning Services (EAWS). Also, the danger descriptions are now translated automatically with a predefined set of phrases. The results from the survey indicate that the goals of the 2012 revision were achieved as, for example, users rated their knowledge about the current avalanche warning exactly in the order of the information pyramid. The language quality of the automatically translated danger descriptions were rated even better than the normally written and manually translated parts of the avalanche bulletin. In addition, the survey reveals user group specific aspects such as the evaluation by mountain guides who rated both, prediction quality and avalanche danger, significantly lower than other groups. However, the overall user rating of the forecasting accuracy has risen slightly but significantly to 83%. To know preferences and needs of users and specific user groups is essential to further improve avalanche forecasts with regard to content and usability.
Language of Article: English
Presenters:
Keywords: avalanche forecast, warning, communication, user survey
Page Number(s): 477-484
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Digital Abstract Not Available
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