Avalanche Forecasting 101: The Framework of a Professional’s Daily Avalanche Forecast This post first appeared on Powder Highway Backcountry, was written by Conor Hurley, and is reproduced with permission. Avalanche Forecasting 101 Avalanche forecasting is a fundamental part of backcountry skiing and splitboarding. It is a skill every backcountry enthusiast should strive to develop. Avalanche forecasting involves understanding how weather, the snowpack, and terrain interact. Then, you add the human element […] Avalanche Guest Author | November 18, 2024 0 Comments
Avalanche Canada Gears Up for Winter With Daily Forecasts Starting November 21 Starting Thursday, November 21, Avalanche Canada will begin issuing daily avalanche forecasts, coinciding with expected snowfall in the coming week. This year, Avalanche Canada has made significant improvements to its forecasting system. The organization now provides updated forecasts for 12 regions across western Canada, offering more precise and localized information for backcountry users. Related: Avalanche Canada Asks Backcountry Users to […] Avalanche AvyBrains | November 17, 2024 0 Comments
West Central Montana Avalanche Center Faces Funding Crisis Amid High Winter Recreation Demand The West Central Montana Avalanche Center in Missoula is urgently seeking community support after the U.S. Forest Service announced it would no longer provide financial and vehicle resources to the center due to budget cuts. The loss of this critical support comes at a time when winter recreation in the region has reached record levels. The funding shortfall poses a […] Avalanche AvyBrains | November 12, 2024 0 Comments
Forest Service Budget Challenges Threaten Avalanche Center Operations Nationwide Chances are, if you’ve gone backcountry skiing in the United States recently, you’ve looked at an avalanche center forecast. Regional avalanche centers utilize a mix of professional observers and forecasters, public observations, and weather stations to generate daily assessments and forecasts of the avalanche risk in mountain ranges across the United States. Looming federal budget cuts have forced the Forest […] Avalanche Zach Armstrong | November 10, 2024 1 Comment
Brain Post: The Hidden Dangers of an Early Season Snowpack Have you ever wondered why avalanche forecasters get so worked up about early season snow? Those first few storms of the season might seem harmless enough, maybe just enough snow to cover the grass and get us dreaming about powder days ahead. But here’s the thing: these early season storms can set up the snowpack for instability that persists throughout […] Avalanche Clay Malott | November 7, 2024 1 Comment
[VIDEO] A Skier Triggered an Avalanche in Super Couloir at Bridger Bowl, MT, Yesterday A skier triggered an avalanche in Super Couloir at Bridger Bowl, Montana, on Wednesday, November 6. The slide measured 2 to 2.5 feet deep, 20 feet wide, and traveled approximately 500 feet. No injuries were reported. “Skier triggered Pocket in super couloir. Wasn’t very unexpected, the skiers left side felt a little slabbier than the skiers right and tried to […] Avalanche AvyBrains | November 7, 2024 0 Comments
Buried Hiker Survives Crowsnest Pass, AB, Avalanche Thanks to Quick Rescue Three hikers triggered a slab avalanche in Crowsnest Pass on Sunday, reminding us that winter conditions persist in alpine areas despite unseasonably warm temperatures in southern Alberta. Related: First Snowfall, First Avalanche: Skier Triggered and Caught Near Silverton Mountain, CO The incident occurred southwest of Coleman near Mount Coulthard, in an area known locally as the York Creek plane crash […] Avalanche AvyBrains | November 5, 2024 0 Comments
Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) Begins Daily Forecasts as Avalanche Season Kicks Off Last week, a snowstorm dropped over 20 inches in many parts of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, marking the beginning of ski season for riders in the state. Wolf Creek Resort has already opened for the season, and many others are making snow with opening days on the horizon. As the snow accumulates in the resorts, so does it gather in Colorado’s […] Avalanche AvyBrains | October 31, 2024 0 Comments