Optimizing GIS for snow safety operations at Taos Ski Valley: avalanche and explosives tracking and digital avalanche atlas apps

Moscarella, R., Bond, A., & Dorshow, W. (2016). Optimizing GIS for snow safety operations at Taos Ski Valley: avalanche and explosives tracking and digital avalanche atlas apps. Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Breckenridge, Colorado. https://arc.lib.montana.edu/snow-science/objects/ISSW16_P2.34.pdf

The article discusses the development of a GIS-based avalanche atlas and workflow enhancement for documenting avalanche occurrences and explosive use in Taos Ski Valley. The researchers objective was to create a comprehensive atlas of avalanche paths within the ski resort. Additionally, the avalanche atlas aimed to make a user-friendly data entry app for ski patrollers to use for documenting avalanche occurrences and explosive use.

The process of creating the Taos Avalanche Geodatabase and Atlas required elevation, slope, aspect, and shaded relief datasets from LIDAR data. The authors used ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro applications for digitizing avalanche start zones, paths, and runouts. A web-based application was introduced for data entry, allowing ski patrol members to enter information on avalanche occurrences and explosive placements using dropdown menus, templates, and drawing tools. The application provided graphical representations and reporting tools for easy querying of avalanche data. According to the authors, the avalanche atlas and web-based application improved communication, record-keeping, and forecasting for ski patrollers, and increased avalanche awareness within the Taos Ski Valley community.

The way that this project streamlined the recording and sharing of avalanche information by ski patrol is maybe an important aspect of the authors' work. Historical data is extremely valuable when it comes to predicting and mapping avalanche potential. The easier it is for patrollers to record observations, the more data is produced for future use.