Harmonization of the regional avalanche bulletins on the Italian Alps A.Cagnati, M.Valt AINEVA ARPAV- Centro Valanghe Arabba

Index 1.Avalanche services organization in Italy 2.AINEVA Bullettin examples 3.The harmonization process 4.Subjects for discussion 5.Suggestions for the future work

1. Avalanche services organization in Italy Italian Alps: Civil Regional Avalanche Services (coordinated by AINEVA) Apennines: Military Avalanche Services (coordinated by METEOMONT)

2. AINEVA Bullettin examples

Italian Alps 7 Avalanche Services (Bullettins) for 43 climate area

The AINEVA synthesis Bulletin ( The AINEVA synthesis Bulletin ( It collects the information from all Regional Bulletins concerning both current and forecasted avalanche hazard and expected snowfalls Its data base is updated every day An archive of avalanche degree level is available

3. The harmonization process REFERENCE DOCUMENTS Outcome of the 6^ EAWS meeting (Wildbad Kreuth,1993) …. Outcome of the 13^ EAWS meeting (Davos, 2005) AINEVA decisions (september 2005) Indications of EWAS Working Group (Salzsburg, 2006)

problems in the harmonization work necessity to make a print version of the bulletins (*.pdf, fax) necessity to use clear symbols also in black/white Issue of the Bulletins in various time (9:00;13:00;16:00) all the Avalanche Services are independent the Avalanche Services work with different instruments and technologies necessity to insert in bulletins also meteorological information AINEVA cannot take decisions but only to give suggestions !

AINEVA Suggestions Situations (today)Forecast ( h) Danger level Headline Symbols, Snow Data, Maps Text: 1.Weather 2.Snow cover 3.Avalanche danger 4.Daily tendency Danger level Headline Symbol, Maps Text: 1.Weather 2.Snow cover 3.Avalanche danger 4.Daily tendency Division of the Bulletin in 2 different sections: Situation (current conditions) and forecast (future conditions)

Headline with (without) danger level Situation (today)

Maps ( danger level distribution), graphical symbols concerning danger localization (aspect and elevation of slopes) Situation (today)

Snow data Mean values AWS data

Situation (today) Text: Current and recent past weather Snow cover metamorphism and consolidation Avalanche danger (types, dimensions and frequency) Graphical concepts : Text, …

Forecast (1-3 days) Forecast ( h) Danger level Headline Symbol Snow Data, Maps Text: 1.Weather 2.Snow cover 3.Avalanche danger 4.Daily tendency This section contains more synthetic informations (graphical rappresentations or text)

Harmonization processes synthesis

4. Subjects for discussion Spring situations Danger level at different altitudes Multilanguage bulletins Racommended actions

Spring situations Spring situations only some services use the agreed solution 2  3 only one service uses the double map

Spring situations Staudinger proposal am + pm am pm Other Proposal

Danger level at different ALTITUDES In the Bulletin we use different danger level only for various areas. For every omogeneus area we indicate the higer danger level (excluding the spring situations) Not used in Italy

Multilanguage Bulletins Multilanguage Bulletins : –Valle d’Aosta (ita, fra, eng) –Bolzano (ita, ger) –Friuli Venezia Giulia (ita, eng, slo, ger) In future: translate all the text? Only the headline? Headline + symbol comments?

Recommended Actions In Italy only one Avalanche Service provide the recommendations. Beyond to the recommendations we have also one graphical indication of the more critical situations. (wind-chill, snow on roads, föhn, …) Scrivere un esempio: INDICAZIONI E MISURE DI SICUREZZA Il pericolo di valanghe interessa prevalentemente gli ambiti non controllati della montagna. Le condizioni per escursioni (sci alpinistiche, con racchette da neve, etc.) e discese fuori pista sono favorite dal bel tempo e dalla neve ancora debole coesione. Oltre il limite del bosco è richiesta UNA BUONA CAPACITA’ di valutazione locale delle condizioni di stabilità del manto nevoso e di scelta dei percorsi di salita e discesa per la presenza di accumuli di neve ventata.

many groups of symbols are used in various parts of the world: it is necessary to standardize!

FOR THE ITALIAN AVALANCHE SERVICES: extend to all Regions the already existing common elements increase the number of common elements standardize the Bulletin layout Most of the Regions agree to share a common pattern which remains the main purpose for the future Unify the graphical concepts FOR THE EWAS WORKING GROUP: clear the question concerning the use of different danger level for different altitudes take a decision about the issuing of the recommended actions in the bullettins standardize graphical symbols for other elements 5. Suggestions for the future work

Thanks for your attention!