Climate database for avalanche consulting and warning in Norway

Abstract

Climate data is an essential tool for the study of weather induced geophysical processes like avalanches. Climate data provides on overview of normal and extreme weather conditions at a given location. This information can be used in risk analysis for the evaluation of past avalanche events and for every day forecasting services. The data can be analyzed for the return period of extreme events with focus on hazard zoning and design standards. A database has been designed to serve as a practical tool for everyday avalanche evaluation at NGI. The database includes weather observations from over 100 Norwegian synoptic stations with three to four observations a day. The stations are located in avalanche prone areas, mainly along the coastal areas in western and northern Norway. Since synoptic stations in the Norwegian mountains are sparse, the analyzer still has to use experience in judging the weather situation in the mountains from observations near the coast. The analysis tools connected to the database are collected in a graphical user interface that allows easy access to the data, plotting of the results as wind roses and time series performing a number of statistical analyses such as return periods for extreme events. The climate database builds a basis for further development of a cross-connected avalanche-climate database currently developed at NGI.