*3.1. Morphometric Analysis*

The analysis was performed using topographic maps (1:25,000–1:5000 scale) and supported by the creation of a Digital Elevation Model (5-m DEM) derived from 1:5000 scale regional technical maps, previously retrieved from Open Geodata Portal of the Abruzzo Region (http://opendata.regione.abruzzo.it/, accessed on 15 May 2021). It was carried out in Geographic Information System (GIS) software (QGIS 2020, version 3.16 "Hannover"). It was centered on the definition of the main physiographic features of the study area in order to highlight the morphological setting of this high mountainous environment quantitatively. In detail, the analysis was based on the computation of three main parameters: elevation, slope (first derivate of elevation [83]), and local relief. This latter was calculated as the elevation range within 1 × 1 km windows, according to Ahnert [84].

According to Schweizer et al. [85], snow avalanche formations result from the complex interaction between the topography, snowpack, and meteorological conditions. As a result, the morphometric characteristics (i.e., slope aspect, relative slope height, and slope inclination of the snow avalanche) are seen as most important in determining the spatial patterns of snow accumulation and, accordingly, the starting, transition, and runout zones [86]. Looking at the landscape parameters evaluated for the study area, the computed morphometric factors (elevation, slope, and local relief) appear to be the most relevant, which control the spatial distribution of snow avalanche activity.

The study area is strictly located to the main drainage basin, automatically extracted from the DEM using the Hydrological Tools in QGIS, whose closing point was located at Pietracamela Village (Figure 4). This assumption was followed in order to have a basic unit to which to refer to in performing all the multidisciplinary analyses, revealing that the drainage basin scale may be the most convenient choice [87].

**Figure 4.** Spatial distribution of the weather gauges used in the present study. The red line indicates the location of the study area.
