The Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF has trained a computer programme to churn out avalanche forecasts which are just as accurate as those written by human forecasters.
The artificial intelligence (AI) tool, trained with two decades-worth of weather and forecast data, has been used as a “second opinion” by professional forecasters since last winter, SLF said this weekExternal link.
Normally, three experts at the institute spend the morning independently examining weather and observational data before writing an assessment in the afternoon, forecasting the risks for the following day. Now, they also compare their forecasts with the AI-generated outlook, and adapt if necessary.
In many cases the human and machine predictions match, but sometimes there are variations. “The computer analyses the data in a different way than we do. That’s why it occasionally arrives at a slightly different conclusion,” said forecaster Frank Techel, a joint author of a paper on the technology published this weekExternal link in the journal Natural Hazards and Earth Systems Sciences.
The researchers say the prediction accuracy of the model is 75%, which corresponds to the reliability of an experienced human forecaster. As such, they plan to continue consulting it in the future, and also want to develop it further – at the moment, it can only predict dry-snow avalanches, but not (yet) wet-snow avalanches and snowpack stability.
Since 1936, some 2,000 people have died in avalanches in Switzerland; 24 die on average every year.
More
More
Avalanches: looming danger in the Swiss Alps
This content was published on
Switzerland has a long tradition of avalanche protection. But how predictable is the white death?
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
This content was published on
Two fish species recently discovered in Switzerland have been called fluvicola and ommata, following an appeal to the public for names.
Convicted ex-shipowner achieves partial success in Swiss court
This content was published on
The Federal Supreme Court orders lower court to reassess part of its verdict against former Swiss shipowner Hans-Jürg Grunder.
This content was published on
A Swiss moratorium on the genetic engineering of plants, which expires at the end of 2025, could be extended for five years.
SWISS airline achieves second-best profit in history
This content was published on
Revenues soared for Swiss International Air Lines in 2024, contributing to the second-largest profit in the company's history.
Switzerland to collect data from non-Schengen visitors
This content was published on
The data of travellers from non-Schengen countries will be automatically recorded at the borders of member countries, also Switzerland.
This content was published on
Melting of the glaciers means more risk of landslides and flooding. Yet it is also opening up new opportunities for Alpine tourism.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.