European Avalanche Warning Services

Signet of the EAWS

The working group of the European avalanche warning services (ger .: European Avalanche Warning Services - EAWS ) is a voluntary association of European states, whose aim is to network the authorities responsible for the avalanche warning authorities at national, regional or local level better together.

The state of Norway is currently chairing the consortium .

The EAWS was launched in 1983. You are in direct knowledge exchange with the American Avalanche Center and Avalanche Canada .

Members

The EAWS currently has 28 members from 16 European countries. These include individual or even all regional avalanche warning services for the states of Andorra , Germany , Finland , France , Great Britain , Iceland , Italy , Switzerland , Spain , Norway, Austria , Poland , Romania , Slovakia , Slovenia and the Czech Republic .

aims

In their declaration of intent, the EAWS formulate goals that are approved by all members. The most fundamental intention is to support its members in predicting and preventing or warning of avalanche events.

The EAWS meet twice a year for working group meetings and every two years for a European conference. The aim of this exchange is to stimulate communication between the members in order to:

• Exchange ideas and experiences on your own work processes for predicting avalanches,
• to develop uniform communication and visualization strategies for warning of avalanche dangers,
• Increase the efficiency of your own work processes and train your own avalanche warning system.

Achievements

Decision-making aid for the output of danger levels by comparing the probability of triggering avalanches and the extent of the danger zones .

A milestone of the EAWS was the Europe-wide standardized risk scale for avalanches introduced in 1993 .

Recently implemented innovations include a. the formulation and visualization of the five avalanche problems , changes in the classification of the avalanche size and the EAWS matrix ( decision-making aid for determining the current avalanche danger).

EAWS sometimes focuses on the development of an Avalanche Information System , with the help of which data on snow profiles, avalanche accidents and avalanche forecasts can be collected and visualized.

The avalanche forecast as the central end product of the respective avalanche warning services (see list of official avalanche warning services ) of the member states forms u. a. essential decision-making basis for z. B. winter sports areas , local avalanche commissions and official disaster control .

Web links

• Homepage of the European Avalanche Warning Services (EAWS)
• Glossary of the most common snow and avalanche terms
• Information on the structure of the EAWS avalanche bulletins
• EAWS hazard scale
• EAWS matrix

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} EAWS: Memoradum of understanding for the European Avalanche Warning Services (EAWS). (PDF) In: lawine.tirol.gv.at. Retrieved January 21, 2019 . 
2. ^ "Avalanche.org" About. Retrieved January 22, 2019 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b} EAWS: News from EAWS, August 2018. (PDF) In: lawine.tirol.gv.at. August 1, 2019, accessed on January 21, 2019 . 
4. ↑ Patrick Nairz, Karel Kriz: European Avalanche Warning Services (EAWS) - latest news. (PDF) 2013, accessed on January 21, 2019 (English). 
5. ↑ Astrid Tangl, Dagmar Unterberger, Christoph Mitterer, Georg Kronthaler, Harald Riedl, Hermann Brugger, Johann Seiwald, Jürg Schweizer, Michael Winkler, Norbert Hofer, Patrick Nairz, Paul Kößler, Paul Maer, Peter Paal, Peter Plattner, Robert Horntrich, Rudi Mair, Siegfried Sauermoser, Simon Rauch, Walter Würtl, Walter Zörer, Werner Beikircher: Avalanche warning and avalanche forecast . In: Office of the Tyrolean Provincial Government, Department for Civil Protection and Disaster Control, Avalanche Commission Matters (Ed.): Training manual of the Tyrolean Avalanche Commissions . 4th edition. Innsbruck 2018, p. 441 .