safety topics

Avalanche warning service Bavaria with new website

Avalanche bulletin in a user-friendly look

by Eliane Droemer • 12/17/2023

LWD Director Dr. Tomas Feistl tests the stability of the snow cover

LWD Bayern

The Bavarian Avalanche Warning Service started the season this winter with a new website, which is real news. After all, a good presentation here can lead to greater safety by ensuring that more people read and understand the bulletin.

The avalanche bulletin for the Bavarian Alpine region is available at www.lawinenwarndienst.bayern.de. It can also be subscribed to as an e-mail newsletter. Importantly, the avalanche bulletin for the following day is published in German and English from 6 p.m. onwards. It can therefore be used as a basis for planning winter activities in the mountains and is an indispensable source of information. The layout, menu navigation and presentation of the content on the website have been fundamentally revised in order to provide winter sports enthusiasts and residents in the relevant areas with clear avalanche-related information.

A new menu item is Blog & Knowledge, where you can find articles such as "Read the avalanche bulletin correctly". Under "Press review" you will find current media articles on the Bavarian Avalanche Warning Service. In addition, measurement data and webcams provide information on the general snow and weather situation.

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The approach of a sliding snow avalanche
.

LWD Bavaria

The centrepiece: the avalanche bulletin

It describes the expected avalanche situation for the next 24 hours and is therefore a forecast. It is valid for the Bavarian Alpine region and is structured according to the Europe-wide standardised information pyramid .
The well thought-out symbols are easy to grasp, so winter sports enthusiasts can see at a glance:

The map with the 10 Bavarian sub-regions, each coloured in the colours of the danger levels.
What is the danger level? A distinction is made here from one to five.
What is the problem? Which of the five classified avalanche problems prevail.
Where is the problem? The most affected slope directions (exposure) and the sea level.

By clicking on the map or on one of the 10 sub-regions in the text, you can read further important details, namely: Why does the problem exist?

The assessment of the avalanche danger: This includes, among other things, the readiness to trigger avalanches, the frequency of danger spots and possible avalanche sizes.
The snowpack structure and weather development.

Tip: Read the report for the same preferred area every day. This way you get used to the terminology, get a feel for the sources and patterns of danger over the winter and can compare the recommendations with your own experience.

The current avalanche report for Bavaria for 17.12.23.

Cross-border cooperation

Dr Thomas Feistl, Head of LWD Bavaria: "The time of issue has been agreed with the avalanche warning services in Vorarlberg, Salzburg, Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Carinthia and Styria. We also use the same input mask and presentation of the avalanche bulletin. An adjustment to the issue date of Tyrol, Switzerland and Italy is under discussion, but can only take place if all the warning services mentioned agree. We are working on this."

Editor's note on the issue date of the avalanche reports:

5 pm: Tyrol, South Tyrol, Trentino, Switzerland, Italy, France
6 pm: Styria, Bavaria, Vorarlberg, Carinthia, Lower and Upper Austria, Salzburg

The new input tool of the Bavarian LWD is shown. The leading edge of a sliding snow avalanche can be seen in the background.

LWD Bayern

Fastest data transfer from the mountain to the national warning centre

The high accuracy of the avalanche situation report is no coincidence. A great deal of technical effort and the meticulous work of the forecasters, including their network, are required for this extraordinary service. 19 measuring stations provide the LWD with countless data every day. In addition, snow profiles and reports are continuously supplied by external observers, such as the 404 volunteers from the 34 Bavarian avalanche commissions. LWD boss Feistl: "We are in the field ourselves once or twice a week, usually with the volunteers for training or to discuss current problem situations."

For the design of the new website, LWD Bavaria worked together with LO.LA, an Austrian company that has already developed the information technology for many local avalanche bulletins - namely LO.LA. Expert Walter Würtl from LO.LA: "The new website is also a source of information for experts, especially the avalanche commissions. They have access to much more detailed - but also more difficult to interpret - raw data via a special app. Communication in the other direction is also made easier: the commission members can quickly provide feedback on the snow situation and snow profiles directly in the field via the special tool, as well as report avalanche events. This means that the exchange of information is standardised, recorded immediately and helps forecasters to produce even more accurate avalanche reports.

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Avalanche deposits in the Hochries area
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LWD Bayern

With four fatal avalanche accidents, there were an unusually high number of victims in Bavaria in winter 22/23. In order for the precise forecast to be effective, it must be read and understood. Another tip from chief forecaster Feistl: "We advise beginners to familiarise themselves with the topic of avalanches in touring courses and to go out with mountain guides or alpine clubs before going into the terrain themselves. Good tour preparation (read avalanche reports and tour descriptions, contact local mountain schools and tourist offices) is important, as is being aware of the risk on site and turning back if in doubt or having a low-risk plan B. Safety equipment (avalanche transceiver, shovel, probe, helmet, smartphone obl., airbag recommended) goes without saying."

We would like to thank Eliane Droemer from www.boardsportsPR.com for summarising the latest news from LWD Bavaria.

Snow profile image of the LWD Bavaria.

LWD Bayern

Brief information on LWD Bavaria:

Founded in 1967
Main task: Prevention of snow avalanche hazards in the Bavarian Alps
Land warning centre in Munich
Head: Dr Thomas Feistl, deputy head: Christoph Hummel
34 avalanche commissions
404 volunteers

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This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

Show original (German)

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