Revision of avalanche bulletin format
The SLF
has been publishing the national avalanche bulletin since 1945. It has been
continuously refined and is widely regarded as the benchmark for warnings
relating to natural hazards. For more than 10 years, regional avalanche bulletins
have also been appearing in the mornings. The reporting format has now been
revised and optimised for internet and smartphone users. The key changes are
improved visualisation, the omission of detailed descriptions for individual
regions, and the introduction of bulletins covering all regions twice a day in
four languages (German, French, Italian, English). The revised format has been
adopted at the start of the 2012/13 winter season. (Frequently asked questions, see FAQ)
Information pyramid
Newly, the structure of the avalanche bulletin reflects the
"information pyramid" illustrated below. On the internet, viewers are directed first to the danger level, then to the "core zone"
(especially endangered altitude zones and aspects), and finally to the danger
description (cf. Figs. 1 and 2).
Fig. 1: The most important topic is
at the top of the information pyramid.
Four-language bulletin covering all
regions updated twice a day
For the first time, the avalanche bulletin is to be published twice a
day, at 8 am and 5 pm, always in four languages (German, French, Italian,
English), for the whole of the Swiss Alps and, as necessary, for the Jura as
well.
The new format is made possible by automated translation based on a
catalogue of standard phrases. The danger description is
assembled in German from a set of predefined phrases. Each of these phrases is
stored in a database in French, Italian and English as well, so that all of the
translations can be produced immediately.
The individual sentences are not fixed, but consist of various phrases.
These phrases are selected from a list of predetermined options (e.g. "The
danger will increase/decrease to moderate/considerable/high"). This allows
the formulation of several billion different sentences. Without such
flexibility, the danger could not be described with sufficient accuracy in
every situation.
Avalanche bulletin on the internet
The new avalanche bulletin consists of two parts: an interactive map
with danger descriptions, and a text headed "Snowpack and weather".
A new feature is the display of the danger description directly in
conjunction with the zoomable map (and no longer in the text of the national
avalanche bulletin). As the user moves the mouse over the danger map, the
individual regions are highlighted. Clicking on the map opens a window
containing the relevant danger description (cf. Fig. 2). During the winter the
danger map and descriptions are updated twice a day, at 8 am and 5 pm.
Fig. 2: Danger map showing highlighted
region and the relevant danger description. Now
"danger pattern" – crucial conditions controlling the release of an
avalanche – are always stated as well, e.g. "fresh snow" or
"snow drifts".
The other information traditionally contained
in the avalanche bulletin, such as the description of the snowpack and weather
(4th stage of the information pyramid) is published in the
evenings at 6:30 pm, now in a semi-tabular format (cf. Fig. 3).
Fig. 3: Snowpack and weather information is published in the evenings, now in a semi-tabular format.
Print version of avalanche
bulletin
As before, various products are available for printing. These
include the regional danger maps (cf. Fig. 4). As successors of the regional
avalanche bulletins, these maps are especially suitable for public display in
the freeride regions. Like all the danger maps, these are now published
twice a day (at 8 am and 5 pm) in all four languages.
Fig. 4: Regional danger map for
northern and central Grisons, for displaying in freeride regions. A separate map is published for each
danger level (shown here is the map for level 3:
considerable danger).
Avalanche bulletin app
The White Risk app has been thoroughly revised to deliver the avalanche
bulletin to smartphones with all its functions, including a zoomable
interactive map. The app also offers extensive background knowledge about
avalanche prevention, and is available free for the iPhone and Android
operating systems.
The new avalanche bulletin format has been optimised for internet and
smartphone users. The other distribution channels are to be shut down.
FAQ - Frequently asked questions
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