How to Help People During an Avalanche in Norway

Quick answer: To help people during an avalanche in Norway, get out of the avalanche path, call 112 for police-coordinated search and rescue, report the missing person’s last-seen location, and begin a trained companion search only when the snow and terrain are sufficiently safe. Use 113 for a medical emergency; 110 is fire. Norway’s emergency services can coordinate with one another. Do not send untrained helpers onto an unstable slope, climb over fresh avalanche debris or assume a mobile phone replaces an avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel.

Norway’s avalanche terrain includes places such as Troms, Lyngen, Lofoten, Romsdal, Sunnmøre, Jotunheimen and Svalbard, where snow conditions, weather and access differ substantially. The Norwegian Avalanche Warning Service (Varsom) publishes regional forecasts and terrain guidance through the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) and partners. The service warns that forecasts are regional and actual local conditions may differ. A low or absent warning does not certify a slope as safe.

Helping has two parts: during an accident, protect your group from a second avalanche and give emergency professionals useful, accurate information; before a trip, support training, equipment checks and route choices that reduce the chance of needing rescue. A qualified companion search may be extremely time-sensitive, but entering avalanche terrain without skill, equipment or a safe plan can cause a second burial. The official Norway ski-touring guide specifically directs search-and-rescue calls to 112.

First 12 actions after an avalanche accident

Get to a safe position: protect yourself from secondary avalanche paths, overhead cornices and continuing snow movement.
Record the last-seen point: remember the victim’s last observed location and direction of travel; avoid losing time filming.
Call 112 for search and rescue: the police coordinate Norwegian SAR. Give the mountain or valley, route, precise coordinates if reliably known, number missing and continuing hazards.
Use 113 for a medical emergency: especially when a patient is accessible and urgent medical care is needed without a search-and-rescue operation.
Assess whether trained companion rescue is safe: coordinate search only if conditions permit, and do not send an untrained person into the slide path.
Use proper avalanche search tools: trained users search with an avalanche transceiver, confirm location with a probe and excavate with a shovel.
Do not assume the victim has a transceiver: a device can locate another transmitting device, not a phone or a person without one.
Keep your group coordinated: someone contacts responders, trained searchers work systematically and others watch for additional danger from safety.
Provide first aid when the person is safely reached: check airway and breathing and follow dispatch instructions about CPR, injury and hypothermia.
Protect exposed survivors from cold: provide suitable insulation and weather protection without delaying urgent care.
Keep untrained bystanders away: do not crowd the debris, block professional access or send people up an exposed slope.
Report accurately: state what is confirmed, when the person was buried or last seen, and which access routes remain usable.

Norway’s emergency telephone numbers

112 — Police / coordinated search and rescue: Norway’s official avalanche travel guide advises 112 for a rescue operation, with police responsible for SAR.
113 — Medical emergency: Helsenorge lists 113 for life-threatening illness or injury, with emergency medical response.
110 — Fire and related emergency: the third national emergency number.
116 117 — Legevakt: non-life-threatening urgent medical advice and out-of-hours treatment, not a substitute for avalanche rescue.
02800 — Police non-emergency: routine police contact; never use it when someone is buried or in immediate danger.
Varsom: current Norwegian avalanche bulletins and danger-level definitions.
Norwegian Road Administration: check official closures and winter access before planning any journey to a mountain area.

Norway’s communications regulator Nkom confirms 110, 112 and 113 as national emergency numbers and says the emergency agencies can redirect or notify one another as needed. The Varsom guide makes the operational distinction especially useful for avalanche accidents: 112 for search and rescue; 113 for a medical incident that does not itself require search or rescue. If in doubt and someone is in danger, call an appropriate emergency service immediately rather than delaying for a perfect classification.

What dispatch needs in Norway’s mountains

Give the mountain, municipality, valley, recognised route, position and a reliable GPS coordinate when available. Describe how many people were skiing, climbing, hiking or travelling, how many may be buried, whether anyone is injured and whether another avalanche might occur. Report the weather, visibility, available beacon/probe/shovel equipment, last-seen point and the number of people still in the group. A distant summit name alone may not identify the right avalanche path.

A suitable message is: “We are below [mountain], in [valley], municipality [name], at coordinates [verified coordinates]. One person was last seen at [time] near [landmark], and the slope above may release again. Two trained companions have transceivers, probes and shovels; one person is watching the slope from safety. Callback [number].” Never make up an altitude or coordinate and do not claim the person is buried if the only known fact is that their phone has no signal.

Understand the dangers of secondary avalanches

The first snow release may leave an unstable slab, a hanging cornice or additional snow above the debris. More snow can break away while a person is searching. This is why ‘help at all costs’ is not a safe instruction. If the scene is too hazardous to enter, stay out, call 112 and preserve last-seen information for professional rescue teams. No search technique justifies knowingly creating multiple casualties.

The Varsom visitor advice warns that long distances and unpredictable Norwegian weather can make professional rescue arrival considerably slower than in some central European ski resorts. The correct response is to prepare a group capable of immediate trained companion rescue where safe, not to assume that a helicopter can arrive instantly or fly during every storm.

How companion rescue works—and its limits

Avalanche transceiver

Each person who enters appropriate avalanche terrain should carry a working avalanche transceiver and understand how to use it. Transceivers exchange a dedicated radio signal when set to transmit; trained searchers switch to search mode when safe to locate a buried beacon. The signal only exists if the person was wearing a functioning transmitting unit. A smartphone, ordinary GPS tracker or mobile call is not an avalanche transceiver.

Probe

A probe helps pinpoint a buried person’s location and depth after the searcher finds the strongest transceiver indication. The Varsom avalanche school describes systematic transceiver search and probing. This is a skill to rehearse before a winter trip; a written article cannot reproduce the practical expertise needed during a real burial.

Shovel and excavation

A sturdy avalanche shovel is needed to move compacted debris. Training helps rescuers choose an effective excavation position, coordinate multiple people and avoid injuring the buried person. Digging a random hole without locating someone wastes valuable time. Stop and reassess whenever continuing debris movement threatens the rescuers. Qualified companions should act under their training and dispatch instructions.

What if a buried person is reached?

Make access to the airway the priority and assess breathing and injuries as soon as the person can be safely reached. Call or stay in contact with dispatchers. Avalanche victims may have trauma, impaired breathing and hypothermia. CPR, careful handling and medical care should follow appropriate training and professional instructions. Do not force food or liquids into someone unconscious or unable to swallow.

Norway’s five-level avalanche danger scale

Varsom uses the European avalanche danger scale, from Level 1 Low to Level 5 Very High. It is a regional assessment of snowpack instability and potential avalanche triggering. The official scale definitions explain that steep slopes are generally those exceeding approximately 30 degrees, although real terrain risks depend on many factors. A single number never certifies a route or slope.

1 — Low: generally favourable conditions, but isolated steep or extreme terrain can still produce avalanches.
2 — Moderate: certain slopes may be hazardous, particularly at forecast aspects, elevation or terrain features.
3 — Considerable: an individual skier or hiker may trigger avalanches on indicated steep terrain; large natural releases can be possible.
4 — High: many steep slopes have poor stability; triggered and natural avalanches can be large.
5 — Very High: exceptionally unstable conditions and widespread natural avalanches may threaten travel routes and settlements.

The bulletin may describe specific skredproblemer—avalanche problems such as wind slabs, persistent weak layers or wet snow. Read the elevation, direction, weather and likelihood, not just the number. An advisory that says conditions are worst on east-facing slopes above a certain elevation is not advice to assume every other slope is safe. Terrain traps, gullies, cliffs and road cuts may make even smaller avalanches deadly.

A missing or ‘not rated’ warning is not an all-clear

Varsom normally publishes regular winter bulletins during the forecast season, generally from December to May, with other information at different times. In November or outside normal forecast periods, parts of the map may say ‘not rated’. That means no rating is shown for that place and time; it does not mean that early-season snow is safe for off-piste travel. Check actual snow, weather, local closures and experienced professional guidance.

Preparing a trip so you can help one another

Read the current Varsom regional forecast, its validity and specific elevation and aspect guidance.
Choose a route suitable for the least experienced person in the group.
Identify slopes, gullies and avalanche runout zones that may threaten even a flat road.
Check equipment: functioning transceiver, probe, shovel and suitable winter clothing for every person.
Practise group search, probe and excavation before the season.
Agree on who calls 112, who performs trained search, and who monitors the slope from safety.
Carry a reliable navigation method, charged communications devices and knowledge of when they may fail.
Tell an out-of-area contact the intended route and expected check-in time.
Respect mountain road closures, resort boundaries and avalanche control operations.
Turn back when conditions and terrain do not match the group’s competence, even after paying for transport or accommodation.

What if an avalanche hits a road or settlement?

Avalanches can cover roads and railway lines or threaten buildings, not only backcountry skiers. A municipal road may be closed because more snow can release from the slope above. Do not drive around barriers, shovel across a freshly covered mountain pass or send a volunteer to search a buried car without trained coordination. Report the road number, kilometre marker, location and number of people possibly affected to 112 or the appropriate authority.

A resident cut off from medicine or a medical appointment may need an authorised transport plan, healthcare advice or other logistics while a road remains closed. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration and local emergency authorities publish relevant access information; a map app or a clear-looking webcam does not establish that the avalanche risk has passed. Help with family contact from a safe place rather than attempting a hazardous shortcut.

Supporting visitors who are unfamiliar with Norwegian mountains

A tourist may have experience skiing groomed runs but no off-piste avalanche training. A hired guide, official resort route and beacon/probe/shovel course are not decorative extras. Ask what snow terrain the group intends to enter, whether everyone has proper equipment and whether they can interpret the current Varsom bulletin. Do not recommend an exposed shortcut simply because social media shows tracks on the slope.

A short Norwegian-language call description can be: “Det har gått et snøskred ved [sted]. Én person er savnet. Siste observerte posisjon var [sted/tid]. Det er fare for nye skred. Ring oss på [nummer].” In English: “An avalanche has occurred at [place]. One person is missing. The last observed position was [place/time]. There is a risk of additional avalanches. Call us at [number].” Use only confirmed numbers and facts.

Helping people with disabilities, children and medical needs

An avalanche-related road closure can isolate households from a pharmacy or clinic. Ask affected people whether they need regular medication, a power-dependent device, accessible transport or home care. Coordinate with the local medical service or municipality; do not suggest a walk across closed avalanche terrain. For urgent non-life-threatening medical care when the GP is unavailable, Helsenorge explains 116 117. For life-threatening conditions call 113.

A school or child-care group should never take children into closed avalanche terrain to watch a rescue. Keep separated children with authorised staff and use private family-reunion arrangements. Do not publish medical details, photographs of injured people or the exact location of vulnerable households to public social media.

What to do after people reach safety

Medical care: seek qualified assessment for trauma, hypothermia, breathing concerns and continuing treatment needs.
Warmth: provide dry insulation, safe shelter and suitable clothing without delaying emergency treatment.
Communication: inform family privately and distinguish confirmed survival from uncertainty about missing people.
Transport: check officially open roads, rail and mountain services before making plans.
Accommodation: identify an operating, accessible location and the needs of those affected.
Incident follow-up: provide verified witness information to the police or rescue team when asked.
Longer-term support: offer practical help with counselling, medical appointments, school and work changes, and the recovery of personal belongings only when authorised.

Donating, volunteering and supporting mountain rescue

Norway has professional police-coordinated search-and-rescue and trained volunteer organisations. Do not drive towards an avalanche after hearing about it online unless officially assigned, and do not obstruct helicopter or road access. People wishing to help can investigate recognised rescue and first-aid training programmes, donate through verified organisations, or assist with safe administrative, logistics and welfare tasks when requested.

An untrained volunteer can help organise a family’s transport after a road reopens, provide a quiet private check-in, translate an official notice or assist a municipality with verified needs. A rescue scene is not a place for sightseeing or unsolicited donations. Follow the incident command structure and respect survivors’ privacy.

Five realistic situations and safer decisions

1. Your ski partner disappears under a slab avalanche

Get to safety, record the last-seen point and call 112 for search and rescue. Trained companions with avalanche equipment may begin a coordinated search if the scene is sufficiently safe. Do not send an inexperienced bystander onto the slide.

2. A mountain road is closed after a fresh avalanche

Do not pass the barrier. The slope may release again, and road foundations may be damaged. Help travellers verify the official alternate route and accommodation instead of attempting a private pickup through the closed area.

3. Someone has a broken leg on safe ground

Call 113 for urgent medical assistance, and tell dispatch if mountain rescue access may also be needed. Protect the person from cold and follow first-aid instructions. Do not attempt a difficult evacuation beyond your skills.

4. Varsom shows no rating in November

Treat the missing rating as a lack of forecast, not safe conditions. Early snow can still form dangerous slabs. Seek training and local professional advice, or choose safer terrain.

5. A witness wants to upload the accident video before calling

Ask them to call 112 first and provide the location and last-seen point. Recording or posting a video is never a substitute for rescue coordination and may expose people’s personal distress.

Frequently asked questions

Which number should I call for an avalanche rescue in Norway?

112 for police-coordinated search and rescue, as Varsom explicitly instructs. 113 is emergency medical care, and 110 is fire. Emergency agencies can communicate with one another.

Should I dig for a buried person immediately?

Raise the alarm and assess secondary-avalanche risk immediately. Trained companions can search and excavate with the proper equipment when conditions permit. Untrained entry into an unstable slope may create another casualty.

Can a phone locate someone buried by an avalanche?

A phone can help contact rescuers and share a caller’s location if the network works. It cannot substitute for a dedicated avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel when locating a person buried in snow.

Is a danger level 1 or 2 safe for every slope?

No. Varsom’s regional ratings are not guarantees, and individual steep slopes, terrain traps and local snow conditions can remain dangerous.

Does ‘not rated’ mean there is no avalanche danger?

No. It means no rating is published for the area or date, often outside normal forecast periods. Conditions still require assessment.

How can relatives or people abroad help?

Stay in private contact, send qualified responders accurate information, support verified rescue or relief organisations and do not spread unconfirmed casualty reports.

More eduKateSG disaster-help guides: Hurricane in Jamaica · Flash flood in Brazil · Volcanic eruption in Italy. Emergency numbers, warning systems and evacuation rules differ by country. Always follow the authorities for the affected location.

Official Norwegian sources and related disaster-help guides

Reviewed 6 November 2026. This is Norway-specific avalanche preparedness and assistance information, not a live slope-risk assessment, rescue instruction for untrained people or confirmation of an open mountain road. Always consult Varsom, local authorities and emergency services, and obtain practical training before entering avalanche terrain.