Item: ESTABLISHING AN OPERATIONAL WEATHER & SNOWPACK MODEL CHAIN IN NORWAY TO SUPPORT AVALANCHE FORECASTING
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Title: ESTABLISHING AN OPERATIONAL WEATHER & SNOWPACK MODEL CHAIN IN NORWAY TO SUPPORT AVALANCHE FORECASTING
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop 2024, Tromsø, Norway
Authors:
- Florian Herla [ Norwegian Water Resources And Energy Directorate ] [ Simon Fraser University Avalanche Research Program, Burnaby, BC, Canada ] [ AWSOME Core Team ]
- Aron Widforss [ Norwegian Water Resources And Energy Directorate ]
- Michael Binder [ Institute of Atmospheric Physics, German Aerospace Center, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany ] [ AWSOME Core Team ]
- Karsten Müller [ Norwegian Water Resources And Energy Directorate ]
- Simon Horton [ Simon Fraser University Avalanche Research Program, Burnaby, BC, Canada ] [ Avalanche Canada, Revelstoke, BC, Canada ]
- Michael Reisecker [ Alpine Software Michael Reisecker, Saalbach, Austria ] [ AWSOME Core Team ]
- Christoph Mitterer [ Avalanche Warning Service Tyrol, Innsbruck, Austria ]
Date: 2024-09-23
Abstract: Avalanche forecasts in Norway cover vast regions with sparse weather and snowpack observations, creating significant challenges for accurate hazard assessment. To address these challenges, the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) has adopted the Avalanche Warning Service Operational Meteo Environment (AWSOME), an open-source software framework for running weather and snowpack simulations initiated by the avalanche warning service Tyrol. This paper documents the implementation of AWSOME’s gridded and snowpit-based toolchains in Norway, integrating the Norwegian Arome weather model with the Swiss SNOWPACK model. Forecasts are generated with 66 hour lead times, while hindcasts use stacked forecasts or reanalysis data. We streamlined the simulation process by aggregating high-resolution weather inputs into a grid of 20 x 20 km pixels, reducing redundancy while accounting for variations in several elevation and aspect classes. Although a numerical experiment confirmed the viability of this approach, the overall simulation output requires further validation against observational data. Forecaster feedback about the added value of the model chain in Norway will be crucial for further refinements. The adoption of AWSOME in Norway represents the beginning of cross-agency collaboration, offering immediate benefits for both NVE and the Tyrolean avalanche warning service. This documentation aims to provide transparency for other users considering adopting AWSOME for operational or research purposes. It is part of a broader effort to make snowpack simulations more accessible to practitioners and avalanche warning services.
Object ID: ISSW2024_P1.15.pdf
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Florian Herla
Keywords: Avalanche forecasting, snowpack modeling, large-scale operational model chain, AWSOME
Page Number(s): 168 - 175
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