Fatal Avalanche Accidents in Switzerland Since 1936

Accident records detail fatal snow avalanches in Switzerland since October 1, 1936. The dataset is maintained by ENVIDAT and updated annually after each hydrological year. It includes identifiers, dates, locations, avalanche characteristics, and casualty counts.

Use Cases

• Analyze trends in avalanche fatalities over time using the date and hydrological year columns.
• Model avalanche start zone characteristics using slope aspect, inclination, and elevation features.
• Assess forecast accuracy by comparing forecasted avalanche danger levels with actual accident occurrence.
• Identify high-risk regions by mapping accident locations using canton, municipality, and latitude/longitude columns.
• Study casualty patterns by analyzing the number of dead, caught, and fully buried persons per event.

Strengths

• Long-term historical coverage commencing in 1936.
• Includes detailed geospatial attributes such as start zone point latitude, longitude, and elevation.
• Provides multiple metrics per accident including forecast danger levels and casualty counts.

Limitations

• Dataset size, row count, and completeness are unknown.
• Limited to fatal accidents, excluding non-fatal avalanche events.
• Geographic scope is restricted to Switzerland.

Provenance

Source

ENVIDAT

Collection Method

Collection of all known fatal avalanche accidents.

Time Range

From October 1, 1936 onward.

Freshness

Updated annually after the completion of a hydrological year.

Geography

Switzerland (cantons and municipalities).