A new method for identifying high avalanche risk sites

Abstract

The actual avalanche hazard required to be better assessed by making out the possible most dangerous sites. So, a new, simple but simplistic, classification method was developed in order to select 100 to 200 French sites which necessitate special caution, from a wide sample of more than 3000 avalanche sites. The advantage of this method is that one can make use of it very quickly. The disadvantage is that one cannot take into account every subtle particularities of the sites. Even so, the preliminary tests are very encouraging and show that the method may really help to prevent avalanche accidents.