The Swiss Way: Expanding the Avalanche Danger Scale

by | Oct 12, 2023 | , | 1

Bucking the trend towards simpler is better, the Swiss expand their avalanche danger scale by adding sub-levels.

After five years of internal use and a season of limited public use in 2022-2023, the Swiss Avalanche Warning Service will add sublevels to their avalanche forecast this season. Yes, they are adding complexity, which seems to be bucking the trend. In Europe generally, including Switzerland, forecasters use five discrete levels to define the avalanche danger level.

This season, instead of a straight 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, the danger levels will include 1, 2-, 2=, 2+, 3-, 3=, 3+, and 4-.

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