Introduction
System Avasense is designed for continuous monitoring of snow cover conditions in mountainous terrain. The goal is operational collection and remote transmission of data on snow height and temperatures within snowpack layers throughout the winter season for analysis by the avalanche service. Observations of snow height provide factual data on snowfall intensity and the amount of precipitation fallen during cyclone periods, as well as their spatial distribution across the terrain due to wind (or drifting) snow transport. Data on temperatures in snow layers allow, both at the beginning and during the winter, tracking of the temperature gradient leading to active metamorphism processes and, consequently, the formation of weak layers of depth hoar. In springtime this allows determination of the start of the avalanche-prone period of wet-snow avalanches. Monitoring these crucial factors of avalanche formation gives an understanding of the temporal boundaries of the avalanche-prone period, improves the accuracy of avalanche danger forecasting and accelerates the preparation of avalanche bulletins.
Key features
Multilayer profiling of snowpack temperatures. Autonomous operation throughout the entire winter season in high-altitude conditions (October–May). Energy-efficient architecture with a night sleep mode and recharging from a solar panel. Field-validated reliability at altitudes 2000+ m for over 5 years. Data pipeline for subsequent integration with ML/LLM avalanche forecast models.
Configuration and principle of operation
Device configuration
Hardware components of the device: - 10 × DS18B20 temperature sensors mounted on a vertically installed mast - 1 × internal temperature sensor in the electronics enclosure - UART-compatible laser rangefinder for determining snow height - other sensors for determining snow characteristics used in avalanche hazard analysis - Photosensor for light mode (day/night) - Microcontroller based on ATmega328P/ARM/ESP32 - LoRa RFM95/SX1262 radio module for energy-efficient long-range data transmission. - LiPo/LiFePo4 battery - solar panel for recharging the battery - IP67 enclosure for electronics protection - central gateway based on OpenWRT + LoRa, connected to the Internet. Principle of operation: Servers - devices for data collection and transmission are installed on mountain slopes with similar exposition, elevation and slope angle that represent avalanche danger. The device consists of a vertical mast with 10 DS18B20 temperature sensors, an additional internal sensor, a laser module for measuring snow height, a photosensor, a microcontroller based on ESP32/ARM/Arduino, a LoRa radio module, a battery and a solar panel. Servers operate autonomously at altitudes above 2000 meters from the end of October to mid-May. The battery is placed at ground level where the average temperature during the operating period is ~0°C, which prevents freezing and ensures reliable charging. The system uses a photosensor to minimize energy consumption and puts the device into sleep mode at night. Measurement intervals are configured on the central gateway, which polls remote servers on schedule and aggregates the received data. Data from servers are transmitted to the gateway via LoRa protocol and forwarded over the Internet to the central avalanche service post. The solution has proven its operability for more than 5 years at ski resorts where snow depth reaches 6–7 meters, providing avalanche services with operational information on snow conditions. Data are used to prepare avalanche bulletins and risk assessment.
Further development
Scaling the system to other ski resorts and high-mountain regions Training machine learning and LLM models on collected data for automatic avalanche hazard prediction Integration with LLM-based tools for automated formation of avalanche danger levels and improved spatial modeling Open API for researchers and services.
Custom manufacturing and commercial proposal
The Avasense.tech team offers design, manufacturing and installation of the system on a custom basis. We can adapt the server configuration to specific mountain conditions and provide a turnkey solution for avalanche services, ski resorts and research centers. Supply of prototypes for testing. Small-series production with quality control. Installation, calibration and field commissioning services. Data hosting and API integration on request. Individual sensor placement LoRa network integration Deployment of gateways and configuration of the data transmission channel. Data pipeline and API integration Contact us for a commercial proposal
Contact
For inquiries, custom manufacturing or data access, contact us: Email: info@avasense.tech Telegram: https://t.me/avasense
Open publication
The document is published as open access on the website avasense.tech to prevent patenting of similar technologies by third parties. © 2025 Avasense.tech. All rights reserved.
