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© Ragnar Ekker

About EAWS

EAWS, the european avalanche warning services, prevent the loss of lives and damages due to avalanches.

Our Mission

The primary purpose of the European Avalanche Warning Services (EAWS) is to support its members in preventing loss of life and damage due to avalanches by providing society with efficient and effective avalanche forecasting and warning services.

Objectives

  • Developing standards, best practice guidelines and recommendations for avalanche warning services
  • Exchanging expertise and promoting staff training
  • Fostering cooperation between neighbouring services and promoting collaboration between Members
  • Enhancing communication and awareness about the avalanche danger to all the categories of users through avalanche bulletins, new forecasting products and common standards and terminology
  • Liaising with other relevant organisations and engaging in strategic relationships and alliances with those that share the objectives of the EAWS
  • Ensuring that all programs, services, and materials are based on current research and scientific evidence

Standards

See all Standards

Our standards are described in the Memorandum of Understanding and under STANDARDS at avalanches.org.

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

See full MOU

EAWS commits to liaising with reliability and honesty and to establishing a knowledge-based consortium. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) describes the objectives agreed by the members and the terms and conditions under which they will cooperate to achieve these objectives.

Milestones

EAWS Milestones

2022, JUNE

Definitions and Workflow for Avalanche Danger Level Assessment

2019, June

New web page for EAWS:
https://avalanches.org

2017, June

Further development of the
EAWS matrix

2017, June

Renaming of Avalanche Sizes

2015, June

Introduction of the
Avalanche Problems

2009, June

Introduction of the Information Pyramid

2004, April

Introduction of the Glossary

2003, May

Introduction of the Bavarian Matrix (now EAWS Matrix)

1993, April

Introduction of the
Avalanche Danger Scale

1983, October

Foundation of the working group of European Avalanche Warning Services in Munich

© Ragnar Ekker

Members

EAWS Members

SMA-OECC

Andorra

LWD Kärnten

Austria

LWD NÖ

Austria

LWD OÖ

Austria

LWD Salzburg

Austria

LWD Stmk.

Austria

LWD Tirol

Austria

LWD Vbg.

Austria

HS CR

Czech Republic

FMI

Finland

Météo-France

France

LWD Bayern

Germany

IMO

Iceland

AINEVA

Italy

METEOMONT ARMY

Italy

METEOMONT CARABINIERI

Italy

Alpsolut

Italy

NGI

Norway

Górskie OPR

Poland

Tatrańskie OPR

Poland

ANM

Romania

SLP+HZS

Slovakia

ARSO

Slovenia

AEMET

Spain

Swedish EPA

Sweden

SLF

Switzerland

UHMC

Ukraine

SAIS

United Kingdom

Organization

EAWS Organization

Chair Person

Christine PIELMEIER
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Switzerland

Coordinator

Thomas FEISTL
Avalanche Warning Service Bavaria, Germany

TAB – Technical Advisory Board

Montse BACARDIT PENARROYA
CGA, Spain

Igor CHIAMBRETTI
WG3 leader, AINEVA, Italy

Mark DIGGINS
SAIS, United Kingdom

Silke GRIESSER
AINEVA, Italy

Thomas FEISTL
Avalanche Warning Service Bavaria, Germany

Norbert LANZANASTO
Avalanche Warning Service Tirol, Austria

Christoph MITTERER
WG2 leader, Avalanche Warning Service Tirol, Austria

Kinga OSTROWSKA
TOPR, Poland

Christine PIELMEIER
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Switzerland

Frank TECHEL
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Switzerland

Alexandre TRAJAN
Meteo France, France

Membership Committee

Emanuela GINI
Meteomont Carabinieri, Italy

Gloria MARTI
ICGC, Spain

Aleš POREDOŠ
ARSO, Slovenia

Lisa PULLING
Avalanche Warning Service Styria, Austria

Thomas STUCKI
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Switzerland

Working Group 1

EAWS Matrix & Danger Scale

In order to foster common understanding, routines and workflows in avalanche forecasting we will try to achieve the following goals: (1) Define and classify the key terms snowpack stability, spatial distribution of snowpack stability and avalanche size. (2) Relate these three terms to other terms currently in use. (3) Assign an avalanche danger level to each combination of the three terms above.

Furthermore we consider the best methods of providing effective risk communication and consistent messaging within the EAWS. The working groups tasks are threefold; to review current research studies on risk communication;  engage with human behavioural experts and psychologists and develop appropriate communication guidelines in order to ensure consistent communication methods and products.

This includes to evaluate the current situation of the usage of CAP, define target group for CAP, evaluate and expand definitions in CAP for avalanches, create a workflow for the output of CAP levels and associated texts and standardise the use of CAP within the members of EAWS.

Karsten MÜLLER
WG1 leader, NVE, Norway

Lorenzo BERTRANDA
Meteomont Carabinieri, Italy

Guillem MARTÍN BELLIDO
SMA-OECC, Andorra

Christoph MITTERER
WG2 leader, Avalanche Warning Service Tirol, Austria

Petter PALMGREN
Swedish EPA, Sweden

Nicolas ROUX
Meteo France, France

Stefano SOFIA
AINEVA, Italy

Frank TECHEL
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Switzerland

Giacomo VILLA
Alpsolut, Italy

Mark DIGGINS
SAIS, United Kingdom

Jordi GAVALDA BORDES
Conselh Generau Aran (CGA), Spain

Giovanna BURELLI
AINEVA Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy

Massimo Umberto DAVES
Meteomont Army, Italy

Chiara DE LUCIA
Meteomont Carabinieri, Italy

Philip EBERT
University of Stirling, United Kingdom

Christoph HUMMEL
Avalanche Warning Service Bavaria, Germany

Fabiano MONTI
ALPsolut, Italy

Carles GARCIA SÈLLES
Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (ICGC), Spain

Mattias TARESTAD
Swedish Avalanche Warning Service, Swedish EPA, Sweden

Anne DUFOUR
Meteo France, France

Michael BUTSCHEK
Avalanche Warning Service Salzburg, Austria

Paola DELLAVEDOVA
AINEVA, Italy

Rune ENGESET
Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, Norway

Sarah GRAF
AINEVA, Italy

Monia MORETTI
Meteomont Carabinieri, Italy

Aleš POREDOŠ
ARSO, Slovenia

Working Group 2

Funding and Organisation

The main goal of this working group is to review possibilities for funding within the EAWS. In addition, we will do a review on how other similar organisations established managing personnel.

Christoph MITTERER
WG2 leader, Avalanche Warning Service Tirol, Austria

Martin BEŠINSKÝ
SLP+HZS, Slovakia

Arnold STUDEREGGER
Avalanche Warning Service Styria, Austria

Working Group 3

Education

Igor CHIAMBRETTI
WG3 leader, AINEVA, Italy