Item: CHARACTERISTICS OF AVALANCHE ACCIDENTS IN DIFFERENT SNOW CLIMATE REGIONS IN THE ALPS
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Title: CHARACTERISTICS OF AVALANCHE ACCIDENTS IN DIFFERENT SNOW CLIMATE REGIONS IN THE ALPS
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop Proceedings 2023, Bend, Oregon
Authors:
- Benjamin Reuter [ Météo-France, Direction des opérations pour la prévision, Toulouse, France ] [ Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. de Toulouse, Météo-France, CNRS, CNRM, Centre d'Etudes de la Neige, Grenoble, France ]
- Cécile Coléou [ Météo-France, Direction des opérations pour la prévision, Toulouse, France ] [ Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. de Toulouse, Météo-France, CNRS, CNRM, Centre d'Etudes de la Neige, Grenoble, France ]
- Jürg Schweizer [ WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland ]
- Benjamin Zweifel [ WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland ]
- Cristian Pérez Guillén [ WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland ]
- Christoph Mitterer [ Avalanche Warning Service Tyrol, Innsbruck, Austria ]
- Marcus Kalb [ Avalanche Warning Service Tyrol, Innsbruck, Austria ]
- Patrick Nairz [ Avalanche Warning Service Tyrol, Innsbruck, Austria ]
Date: 2023-10-08
Abstract: Avalanche accidents evidence periods of increased avalanche danger that avalanche forecasters want to pinpoint. Accidents records reveal periods with dangerous situations that may be difficult to grasp in forecasts or manage in the terrain. Hence, analyzing accidents has merit for enhancing avalanche forecasting, danger communication and avalanche education, alike. We analyzed avalanche records from forecasting regions in the French Alps, the Swiss Alps and Tyrol in the Austrian Alps. Including fatal accidents only, we obtained a multinational record that is almost complete with respect to location, date, trigger and simple terrain characteristics, such as slope aspect. A recently developed snow avalanche climatology describes the climatological variations in French Alpine regions. The local conditions were completed with snow cover modelling based on reanalyzed meteorological data. Our results confirm that fatalities with natural release have become rare today. Fatal backcountry avalanches are more frequent on north-facing aspects and occur with dry-snow conditions. Comparisons with the snow climates demonstrate that accidents are more common in regions which are prone to form persistent weak layers. Differences between the three Alpine countries were, for instance, related to the forecast danger level. Blending snow cover modeling with avalanche accident reports, facilitates analyses across borders in an objective manner and can provide a more complete set of information concerning the regional conditions, including regional climate.
Object ID: ISSW2023_P1.29.pdf
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Benjamin Reuter
Keywords: avalanche accidents, snow climates, snow cover model
Page Number(s): 305 - 310
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