Avalanche Weather Forecasting

• Introduction
  • Glory Bowl Avalanche Incident
  • Avalanche Impacts
  • Avalanche Weather Forecasts
  • About the Module
• Basic Avalanche Information
  • Introduction
  • Avalanche Climate
  • Types of Avalanches
  • Avalanche Paths
  • Avalanche Terrain
  • Avalanche Triggers
  • Avalanche Sizes
  • Avalanche Development
  • Sliding Surfaces
  • Stable vs. Unstable Snowpacks
  • Snow Bonding
• Avalanche Weather Forecast Process
  • Overview
    • The Forecast Process
    • Forecasting Guide and Data Form
  • Pre-forecast Preparation
    • Overview
    • Avalanche Climate
    • Avalanche Terrain
    • Weather History
    • Recent Avalanches
  • Current Weather
    • Overview
    • Precipitation
    • Wind
    • Temperature
    • Cloud Cover & Solar Radiation
  • Future Weather
    • Overview
    • Precipitation
    • Wind
    • Temperature
    • Cloud Cover & Solar Radiation
  • Making the Avalanche Weather Forecast
• Forecast Exercises
  • Introduction
  • Case 1
  • Case 2
  • Case 3
  • Case 4
  • Case 5
• Summary and Resources
  • Summary
  • Resources

Overview

Before you start looking at weather data, you need to gather general avalanche information about your forecast area, including:

• Its type of avalanche climate
• Any areas that are prone to avalanches
• Its weather history from the start of the season
• Any snowpack observations about the snow surface and stability of the pack
• Any reports of recent avalanche activity

This Pre-Forecast Preparation portion of the Avalanche Weather Forecast Guide provides more detailed information about these indicators and their impact on avalanche potential. Review the table, then we’ll explore the indicators in more detail.