Climate change tipped to alter Swiss avalanche patterns by 2100

Climate change could lead to more wet snow avalanches by 2100 Keystone-SDA

Climate change is expected to result in fewer avalanches overall in Switzerland but to increase the danger of wet snow avalanches by 2100.

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The only effective safety measure is to close ski resorts in danger zones, warn researchers.

In wet snow avalanches, part of the snowpack is moistened by melt or rain water. These are expected to increase above the tree line.

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But dry snow avalanches will decrease, the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) announced on Wednesday. If the average winter temperature warms by around five degrees Celsius by 2100, the overall activity of avalanches will also decrease.

Avalanches are likely to reach valley locations less frequently in future due to rising temperatures, the associated higher snow line and less snow. However, there will still be extreme snowfall events in the future, the report continued. This could even lead to larger avalanches at higher altitudes. If these run off in a channelled manner, they could even reach the valley as they do today.

SLF investigated the consequences of climate change on avalanche activity at seven locations in Switzerland. These included the Weissfluhjoch above Davos and a station at 2,700 metres near Zermatt.

The results are transferable to the entire Alpine region. They can also be applied to mountain ranges with similar climatic conditions, such as the Columbia Mountains in Canada.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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