M a n a g e m e n t

a n d

A n a l y s i s

o f

S n o w,

A v a l a n c h e

a n d

C l i m a t e

D a t a

variable: after each observation, once a day oreach week.
Moreover, the user may be a ski patroller who knows me-
teorological codification well, or a secretary who may not.
Sothedeveloperhastomakeapersonalchoicewhich
will not be approved by all users.
Thedidactic aspect has been intensified ;a parameter
maybeentered directly like acode orselected in adrop
down listboxwith precise details. Many verifications are
made toensure good quality ofthe local database. Atthe
presenttime the databaseallows storageof observations all
year long (for summer skiing),and not especiallyduringthe
winter as in the DOS version, and have nine locations for
very large ski resorts Two examples of screens forweather
observations(fig. 2) and snowpits entry (fig. 3) are shown.

Visualization ofsnowpits

Three screens are available:

*One detailed snowpit (fig.4)

*Four chronologicalsnowpits for thesame location(fig. 5)

*Foursnowpits fordifferent locations (fig.6)

During selection of the location and the date, the user can
see a little ram profile to help him in his choice. Many pre-
cise details can be visualized such as gradient of tempera-
ture, details of thin layers,ratio between shear-stress and
shear-strength[Coléou90],andafulllegend describing
codification. It is easy with the chronological screento fol-
lowsnowpackevolution orcompare fourlocationswith
differentaltitudesor expositions with themulti-site screen.

Visualizationofweatherobservations

Three time scales are available : three weeks (for forecast-
ing), one month [fig. 7] and one year (for climatology) [fig
8]. These different representations can be activated by the
same interface. Some computed data are produced, such
as the sum of precipitations or fresh snow over a period of
threeorfivedays.Aspecialclimacticalgraph regroups
averagedand extreme values of parameters for a period of
ten days and a month [fig.9].

Utilities

The configuration of the application is easy. Many options
forthe usercan be defined with check boxesand option
buttons. A special password allows the local head to pro-
tect against bad modifications of important parameters of
configuration.Asthe data are stored in files with a spe-
cial format, a utility can export them in a ASCII file, to be
processed by an common program (forexample, Excel).
GELINIV is also connected with two external software:

*NXLOG(IfenaDavos):allcommonand specialdata
suchasdriftometer'smeasurementsforexamplecan
be entered in GELINIV.

*OASIS [Gilet 95]: this application can directly process
the files of GELINIV and especially the resultsof As-
tral (asdefined in the next paragraph) to display the
avalanche activity (list,map, scanned pictures) corre-
sponding to the analog days.

Last but not least, on line help provides the user all infor-
mation to help him.

2

THENEARESTNEIGHBOR'SPROGRAMASTRAL

Thisprogram[Guyomarc'h94]istotallyintegratedin
GELINIV forWindows,and so it has a fine looking inter-
face.When a skipatrollerisprocessingthe modelwith
estimated data, it is very easy and fast to make changes of
these estimations and have new results (fig.10).

DEVELOPMENT,BROADCASTING OF
THEAPPLICATION

GELINIV was developedby the computing divisionof CEN
(Météo-France).It is written in Visual Basic V4Pro,and
the first version under Windowshastaken two peoplenine
months of work.
In 1994/1995,fifty-five DOS versions had been broad-
casted in ski resorts.
The firstinstallation ofthe version V2.0a underWin-
dows was made on 01 December1995.
In April 1996,fifty-one software were installed,forty-
one in the French Alps and ten in the Pyrénées. Because
many large ski resorts like La Plagne, Val d'Isère, Tignes,
LesArcs,Courchevel,LesArcs,L'Alped'Huez,Serre
Chevalier have GELINIV, this application is now process-
ing more than eighty locationsof measurement.
There is aconstantdialog between skipatrollers and
developers thanks to the use of checking forms. In March,
a survey was made to know users'opinions and wishes.

WHAT GELINIV WILL DO IN FUTURE VERSIONS ?

A new version,V2.2, has been announced forNovember;
one of the innovations will be the multi-language support
for international broadcasts (broadcasting in Andorra and
Spainisforecasted).Manyotherimprovementswillbe
available inanswer to the remarks of the users.
In the future, the data transmission by modem between
skiresortsandregionalcenterofMétéo-Francewillbe
considered.We hope that in the near future,most of the
processofweatherobservationsandsnowpitdatain
France will be computer-based.So, the forecaster in a ski
resort orin a regional station willbe able tomake more
precise judgements with the help of results of data analy-
sis,statistical and determinist models.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like tothankmany ski patrollers of the French
nivo-meteorologicalnetwork,especiallyC.Schneider
ofskipatrolserviceofLaPlagneandthedirectorof
thisski resort,A.Martzolf,fortheirremarks,criticism
and encouragement.