SAIS Avalanche Warning System Gets Update

Gareth    General Outdoor    

The SportScotland Avalanche Information Service has restarted for the winter, and takes on a fresh new look for 2009/2010. Gone are the numerical gradings; replaced by an easy to follow grading from Low to Very High along with a new graphical layout.

In line with other international warning systems the new layout gives a visual “hazard rose” which gives advice dependent on height and direction – showing where southern slopes are more liable to avalanche than northern slopes and vice-versa. Using the new system you can check on the likelyhood of both natural and man-made avalanches in each of 8 compass directions with concentric rings showing different altitudes.

As in previous years you can get the avalanche information updates daily in either pdf format or online, where relevant words are highlighted with rollovers for further descriptions. A mobile text service, and the choice to download reports to your mobile complete the picture for what must surely be the most user friendly version of SAIS to date.

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