Swiss Avalanche Institute Asks For Your View on New Grading System

8th March 2023

Last modified on March 12th, 2023

This winter a new system was introduced to the warning system with + and – grades at the intermediate levels. What did you make of it?

The avalanche warning service would like to know and is asking the target group to fill out a questionnaire.

The avalanche danger scale is uniform throughout Europe, but with its 5 levels it is “quite rough”.

Therefore, the SLF has introduced intermediate levels for this winter.

The new system uses -, =, and + to indicate whether the avalanche danger lies in the lower range, in the middle or in the upper range of the indicated danger level.

We reported on it on PlanetSKI was it was introduced:

Change to avalanche warnings in Switzerland

How is the new system received by ski hikers and freeriders?

Does it offer any added value?

And is it really understood at all?

To find out, the avalanche warning service is asking users of the avalanche bulletin to take part in a short online survey.

“It takes about ten minutes to complete.

The answers help us to improve the avalanche bulletin and adapt it to the needs,” said the SLF.

Avalanche in the Alps. Image © PlanetSKI

Questions include:

Where do you engage in winter activities in the mountains?
Which winter activities do you pursue in the mountains??
How often do you consult the SLF avalanche bulletin before a day of ski touring / freeriding in Switzerland or Liechtenstein?
What information do you look for in the avalanche bulletin?
Which categories of information in the avalanche bulletin are most important for you when planning a day of freeriding or touring?
Which of these subdivisions describes the greatest danger?
What is the meaning of considerable, 3-?
Which of these subdivisions describes the greatest danger? Moderate, 2+ Moderate, 2- Moderate, 2=

See the survey here.