Lukas Ruetz

Countless ideas and observations were put down on paper for the International Snow Science Workshop 2018. One of them was the result of a collaboration between Kristian Rath, an observer at the Bavarian LWD, and the Snow Sturgeon: A schematic overview map of the "core areas" of the ground-level weak layers in the Alpine region and their connection to the tree species distribution.

From October 7 to 12, Innsbruck became the center of the world. The world of snow and avalanches. The International Snow Science Workshop was held for the first time in the "Capital of the Alps". A review of a successful week and a look ahead to interesting developments in avalanche prevention and accident management for winter sports enthusiasts:

The Alpinmesse in Innsbruck has established itself as a fixed meeting point for the German-speaking mountain community. A short report on the lack of groundbreaking innovations, general trends and the annual see-and-be-seen:

In October, the world's largest conference for snow and avalanches will take place in Innsbruck for the first time. There will also be an open day - ideal for interested winter sports enthusiasts!

When it comes to snow, there are and have been various trends. All of them have brought progress and have given way to new trends. Meanwhile, one of them has been stuck in its own gears for years. A plea to finally take a common path out of this one.

The renaissance of the "snow profile for everyone" has long since begun. Anyone who wants to record or pass on their profiles can now purchase an elegant recording tool.

In the current season, it was noticeably more dangerous in sunny areas than in shady ones. This is due to a special form of weak layer formation known as the "cold on warm hazard pattern".

The ISSW (International Snow Science Workshop) is the world's largest specialist conference on snow and avalanches. This fall, it will be held in Innsbruck for the first time and, with a new concept, will set the tone for the practical implementation of snow and avalanche research.

Snow cover without relevant weak layers is very rare, especially in the inner Alpine regions in early and high winter. In the current season, we are seeing this constellation in large parts of the Alpine arc. The snow cover is often compact and the old snow is stable.

The snow conditions are good for the time of year across the entire Alpine arc. Thanks to regular, quite remarkable fresh snowfalls. Intense fresh snowfall significantly increases the risk of avalanches. Why is that?

Sliding snow avalanches cannot be triggered by a regular additional load - neither as a skier nor as a blaster. Why is that the case?

Avalanche warning is also a joint project for all of us. This week in SnowFlurry, we discuss why it is not only important to report avalanche accidents, but also special observations of snow and its transformation processes.