Avalanche Danger Bulletins - Historical BPA 1986-2018 | icgc

Avalanche Danger Bulletins - Historical BPA 1986-2018

Compilation of avalanche danger notes and bulletins issued during the winter seasons of the Catalan Pyrenees

The avalanche forecasting service and its associated activities is an uninterrupted duty that has been carried out in Catalonia since 1986. The service begans under the responsibility of the Geological Survey of Catalonia in collaboration with the University of Barcelona. In 1996 the Service joined the Cartographic Institute of Catalonia, in 2003 it became the Meteorological Service of Catalonia, in 2006, once the Geological Institute of Catalonia was created, it joined this body; and, finally, in 2014 to the Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia.

The Historical Avalanche Danger Bulletins 1986-2018 have been prepared by different institutions according to the following winter seasons:

  • 1986-1996. Geological Survey of Catalonia (SGC)
  • 1996-2003. SGC - Cartographic Institute of Catalonia (ICC) in collaboration with the National Institute of Meteorology (INM) Meteorological Center of Catalonia.
  • 2003-2006. Meteorological Service of Catalonia (SMC).
  • 2006-2014. Geological Institute of Catalonia (IGC) in collaboration with the SMC.
  • 2014 onwards. Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia (ICGC) in collaboration with the SMC.

The public service of avalanche forecasting system designed in 1986 started with a process of testing internally the issue of avalanche danger bulletins with the aim to validate them scientifically. The first BPA was not publicly issued until 1991. Thus, the collection available in PDF format of Historical Avalanche Danger Bulletins begin in 1991. This collection contains the notes and avalanche danger notes issued during the winter seasons in the Catalan Pyrenees (4224 records).