SLF

Last weekend, PG ConditionsReporters and editorial team members got together for the traditional end-of-season get-together. PowderGuide wouldn't be what it is without the dedicated input of the extended community and especially the ConditionsReporters, so it's always nice to get together once a year in as large a group as possible and talk about all sorts of things. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who couldn't make it to the meeting! Thank you very much for your commitment this season!

For most freeriders and ski tourers, it is a matter of course to think about questions like: What does the situation report say? How is the weather, how is the snow? Was it windy, is there fresh drift snow? Is the snowpack structure favorable? We know that we have to be aware of our surroundings if we want to move safely in avalanche terrain. However, we often forget to consider ourselves and our behavior in the group. The SLF has developed a checklist to help prevent problems with group dynamics.

Who isn't interested in finding out exactly what the conditions are like in a particular area? How much fresh snow has fallen, what has the wind done or the temperature? This is where the available weather portals or avalanche reports reach their limits - the limits of communicability. This is where the measured values come into play: they provide very timely and valuable information on a specific point.

The winter of 2014/15 was characterized by an exceptionally snow-poor early winter with correspondingly below-average snow depths. Over the entire winter, snow depths were only just above average above 2200 m and above average on the southern slopes of the Alps. These marked differences in snow depth depending on altitude were caused by above-average temperatures, which repeatedly melted away the snow at medium and low altitudes. With the exception of February, the months of November to March were all too warm, and early winter was record warm in some cases. Despite the excessively warm winter, large parts of the Central Plateau and Jura experienced an average number of snow days thanks to a favorable combination of cold and precipitation. The snow cover build-up was weak in the inner Alps, but also at times on the northern slopes of the Alps, whereas it was much more stable on the southern slopes of the Alps. Compared to the long-term average, last winter was more dangerous. Danger level 3 (considerable) was forecast more than normal, level 2 (moderate) less. Two major avalanche accidents led to an above-average number of avalanche fatalities overall. By April 15, 32 people had died in avalanches.

"Remote triggering from approx. 200 meters, avalanche length approx. 120 meters, height max. 1 meter, cone 250 meters, ...". This avalanche report reached the SLF avalanche warning service on 19.12.2015 at 15:15. In this joint text, Steffen Kruse from PowderGuide and Thomas Stucki from the SLF Avalanche Warning Service describe how it came about and why such reports are useful for the avalanche bulletin or the rescue services.

The weather in Central Europe is currently divided into two parts. A sharp air mass boundary separates the north and east from the much milder south and west. The differences are particularly evident in Germany, where, for example, temperature differences of up to 20° were measured on Monday. In Werl (NRW), on the warm side, the daily maximum temperature was 5.5°C, while in Diepholz, 120 km away on the cold side, it was only -4.7°C. The Alps are on the warm side of the air mass boundary in a humid westerly current.

A look at the map of fatal avalanche accidents in the Swiss Alps over the last 20 years shows that a particularly high number of fatal accidents occurred in Valais and Graubünden (Fig. 1). What is the reason for this increase in accidents? Is touring activity higher in these areas, resulting in more avalanche accidents? Or are there other reasons for the increased risk of avalanche accidents in these regions?

With WhiteRisk, the SLF has been offering an online platform for several years that primarily serves to prevent accidents and impart knowledge. For the 2015/16 season, there are some new features and expanded offerings.

He likes it best when it's "clinking and clattering". Today*, however, it was quiet, almost too quiet for his taste. Danger level 2 - moderate - little avalanche activity. The Friday interview with Radio Rumantsch at 5.50 p.m. - a home game for the 29-year-old avalanche forecaster from Ruschein in the Grisons Oberland - then it's time to call it a day.

In early summer 2015, the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF hosted an international seminar on avalanche (accidents) and legal issues in Davos.

The almost unbelievable success story of what is currently probably the most popular avalanche emergency equipment began 30 years ago: the avalanche airbag. This story is inextricably linked to the Bavarian engineer Peter Aschauer, who fought for his idea for a long time against many obstacles. And the result was nothing less than a (small) revolution: the avalanche airbag is now virtually standard equipment for countless winter sports enthusiasts. The idea for the avalanche airbag was based on a rather accidental discovery ...

There are several useful apps for outdoor activities, and the weather app from MeteoSwiss is definitely one of them.