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How do I check avalanche warnings in Norway?

Where to find the forecast, when it is published and how to read it.

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Short answer

Avalanche warnings for Norway are published on the Varsom website and in the Varsom app, with daily regional forecasts from 1 December to 31 May. The service is run by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE). Each region gets a danger level from 1 (low) to 5 (very high), and next-day forecasts come out before 16:00.

Avalanches and winter for non-specialists a shield icon with a check mark next to a tent and a small no-campfire sign on a green hillside

Why

  1. Varsom is run by NVE together with the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.
  2. Each warning region gets a danger level on a five-level scale: 1 Low, 2 Moderate, 3 Considerable, 4 High and 5 Very high.
  3. Regional forecasts cover the areas with the most avalanche problems, and for the rest of the country warnings are only issued at danger level 4 or 5.

Details

Forecasts for the next day and the day after are published before 16:00, and today's forecast is updated before 10:00 if needed. The Varsom app also shows maps of avalanche terrain, and you can read and share observations of snow and avalanches there or on the Regobs website. NVE asks you to always make your own assessment and to use the warnings at your own risk.

Tip

Read the forecast the evening before a ski tour and check it again in the morning, since today's forecast can be updated before 10:00.

What may differ

Outside the regional warning areas, NVE only issues warnings at danger level 4 or 5, so a missing warning there does not mean low danger. Varsom also covers Svalbard.

People also ask

  • How do you check avalanche warnings before a ski tour in Norway?

Sources

This answer is for reference only. Avalanche conditions change from day to day, so check Varsom before every trip.

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