AI does avalanche blog (or maybe not).

20th January 2025

Another cloudy day in Glen Coe today. There were a few light rain showers from time to time. With the freezing level remaining just above the highest tops, there was little change in conditions from yesterday. However, there is a slight dusting of fresh snow in tomorrow’s forecast, and it looks like staying cold for a few days. Hopefully, we will have something to report on by the end of the week.

Recently I have been seeing a lot of adverts for AI programs. Given a comment recently from another forecaster about AI, I thought I see what it could do in terms of writing a forecaster blog.  Could us human avalanche forecasters be replaced by AI bots any time soon? Scroll down and see what you think  (AI produced content at the end, see if you can spot it).

Calm conditions in Loch Leven this morning.

There were some views during the morning. Unfortunately still no snow.

Layers of cloud when looking North towards the Lochaber hills.

Looking down the Glen.

Layers of cloud coming and going.

First task for the AI bot, write about the current avalanche conditions in Glen Coe. Well the result was pretty generic and obviously it had not been to Glen Coe in the past few days, but overall it gave sensible (albeit it totally wrong) results. I was quite impressed.

“Given the typical Scottish mountain weather, and particularly the notorious conditions often experienced in Glen Coe, current avalanche conditions are likely to be variable and potentially high risk. Frequent freeze-thaw cycles, combined with recent snowfall (or lack thereof), could create unstable layers within the snowpack. Wind loading on lee slopes, particularly in high corries and gullies, will likely be creating areas of significant avalanche hazard. It’s critical that anyone planning to venture into the Glen Coe mountains in winter consult the most up-to-date reports from the Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) before heading out, carefully assess the terrain and conditions on the day, and carry and be proficient in using appropriate avalanche safety equipment like a transceiver, shovel, and probe. Sound decision-making and a conservative approach are crucial when navigating the challenging conditions in Glen Coe.”

Then came the images, I asked AI for an image of an avalanche in Glen Coe. Now, a bit of drama in an image to catch people’s attention is not bad thing, but I feel that AI may have overdone a little on the drama. I suspect that us human forecasts won’t be replaced by bots any time soon!

A typical avalanche in Glen Coe as viewed by AI.

Another avalanche in Glen Coe, you can’t accuse AI of not adding a bit drama into it’s images.

 

 

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