Management of Snow Avalanche Risk in the Ski Areas of the Southern Carpathians-Romanian Carpathians - Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions: Southeastern Europe - page 111

McClung and Schaerer, 1993 ; Mock, 1996 ; Mock and Birkeland, 2000 ). As a
consequence of its geographic position, many types of climatic influences can be
identified on the mentioned ski areas. The northern slope of the Fagaras massif,
where the ski area of Bâlea can be found, is under the humid oceanic influences.
The Sinaia ski area is under continental influences. Therefore, the regional climate
also determines the solar radiation, temperature, snowfall quantity and type of snow
(McClung and Schaerer, 1993 ; Zingg, 1966 ). Characteristics of the climate of the
Fagaras massif are registered at the weather stations of Bâlea Lake (2,070 m) and
Cozia (1,577 m) and at the weather stations of the Bucegi Mountains at Vf. Omu
(2,505 m) and Sinaia (1,500 m). The collected values were subsequently analyzed
to produce average annual values ( Table 10.2 ):
Snow is the very important resource for winter tourism, especially for skiing
(Breiling and Charamza, 1999 ). Snow cover and duration play a major role in envi-
ronmental and socioeconomic practices within mountain regions (Beniston, 1997 ,
2003 ; Beniston et al., 2003 ).
On the other hand, the number of days with snow layer (Fig. 10.7 ) is another
important factor for ski practices. This parameter is subjected to altitude variations
but also to local conditions.
Therefore for the Bâlea area the highest values are registered within the
December-March interval, the total number within the October-May interval
summing up 150 days. For the Sinaia ski area, the highest values regarding the
days with snow layer is reached within the November-March interval at the highest
altitudes and November-April in the middle and lower part of area. The total
number of days with snow layer is of 224 at the highest altitudes, around 66 in
the middle and only 45-46 days in its lower part. Therefore we can ascertain that
in the case of the Bâlea ski area also in the case of the higher part of the Sinaia
ski area the prerequisite condition of a minimum of 100 days of snow depth, as it
is stated in the dedicated literature (Becken and Hay, 2007 ; Besancenot, 1990 )is
accomplished. In order for skiing to take place in good conditions, it is necessary
that the snow depth be of at least 30 cm (Agrawala, 2007 ; Becken and Hay, 2007 ;
Besancenot, 1990 ; Freitas, 2005 ; Hall and Higham, 2005 ). In accordance with the
snow depth, we have determined the type of the seasonal variation of snowfall or
the type of nivometric regime (Besancenot, 1990 ), so that for the Bâlea Lake ski
area the characteristic nivometric regime is bimodal which is characterized by a
secondary maximum of the snow depth in February and the main maximum in
April, and between the two existing a relative winter minimum. This type of regime
is characteristic for high altitudes. For the Sinaia ski area we noticed a mutation
from the monomodal regime, with a single maximum in the middle of winter
towards the type of balanced regime, displaying similar quantities of snowfall in
the months of December, January and February. Towards the highest altitudes the
type of nivometric regime is bimodal as well (Fig. 10.7 ).
The necessary 30 cm of snow are provided in all cases (Agrawala, 2007 ; Becken
and Hay, 2007 ; Besancenot, 1990 ; Freitas, 2005 ; Hall and Higham, 2005 ) (see
Fig. 10.7 ).