Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game AVALANCHE FORECASTS

A few reporting sites that will update, soon:


https://www.nwac.us/

https://www.avalanche.ca/map

https://avalanche.state.co.us/

https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/

https://utahavalanchecenter.org/forecast/salt-lake

http://www.jhavalanche.org/

https://missoulaavalanche.org/map/

https://esavalanche.org/

https://sawtoothavalanche.com/

https://www.cnfaic.org/

https://alaskasnow.org/valdez/

https://www.wallowaavalanchecenter.org/

https://mountwashingtonavalanchecenter.org/advisory/general-bulletin-issued-on-monday-may-27-2019/

My Father started the first region wide avalanche forecasting center in the United States. It was called CAWP. This was done under the auspices of the United States Forest Service at the Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station in Fort Collins, Colorado. When the forest service decided to get out of avalanche research and forecasting the program was moved to being funded by CDOT, Federal grants, and by donations. Know Williams is the man who made this happen, it became The Colorado Avalanche Information Center, CAIC. It is one of the finest avalanche Forecasting Programs in the United States. It also provides some very good mountain weather forecasts for other users.

Really good book on the subject, written by a local here.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/383762.Snowstruck


Snowstruck: In the Grip of Avalanches
by Jill Fredston
4.01 · Rating details · 228 ratings · 47 reviews
Every year around the globe, people cross paths with avalanches—some massive, some no deeper than a pizza box—with deadly results. Avalanche expert Jill Fredston stalks these so-called freaks of nature, forecasting where and when they will strike, deliberately triggering them with explosives, teaching potential victims how to stay alive, and leading rescue efforts when tragedy strikes. In Snowstruck, Fredston draws on decades of personal experience to take “avalanches out of the statistical realm and into the human one” (Skiing Magazine): a skier making what may prove his final decision, a victim buried so tightly that he can’t move a finger, rescuers racing both time and weather, forecasters treading the line between reasonable risk and danger. Fredston brings to life the awesome forces of nature that can turn the mountains deadly—and the equally inexo­rable forces of human nature that lure us time and again into treacherous terrain. (less)
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Paperback, 352 pages
Published January 8th 2007 by Mariner Books (first published 2005)
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Here is a classic, it is out of print but a great read. Monty Atwater was a tenth mtn vet. I was intimidated by him as a child, until he sat down with me and talked and then gave me a set of the children’s books he had written. He used to walk around with a smoldering cigarette on his lips that had about 2” inches of ash sagging from it. if he was inside, and notice it he would open up his shirt pocket and tip it in.

https://www.amazon.com/Avalanche-Hunters-Montgomery-Meigs-Atwater/dp/0825513456

Here is another older classic

Skiing with Ron Perla was my motivation to become a telemark skier, I thought I was pretty good unitl a much older Perla kicked my butt on old Head Standards with Silveretta bindings and leather boots skiing without locking down the heels.

https://www.amazon.com/Avalanche-ha...=1573231957&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmr0

Most sites have forecasts now online!

Be careful out there!!

Truly an important skillset for all that play in the mountains You Tube has a lot of great info. Good list SJ, conditions are very local and change daily.


mike r

ON Dec. 08 there was a young girl killed by a avalanche while cross ctry skiing on the Diamond peaks above Cameron pass. This area is about 40 miles from my house.

There are all kinds of warnings, markers etc., but it seems every year someone loses their life.

On a clear day you can look up and see a huge crown overhanging the ridge.

Been up their in the summer and if there is any crown I wont cross the field below it..


Lefty

And here I thought it was a seasonal thread about Safariman sightings around the west coast and Rocky Mountain States....

Cornices.

Watch out for wind hardened slabs on convex slopes. Don't travel exposed slopes right after heavy snowfall and ESPECIALLY if it rained afterwards!

Very cold temps after a snowfall and very warm temps also hazardous.

Be extremely cautious traveling on slopes with no runout below.

Pay attention for the solar aspect of a slope an warmer days.

When traveling upslope try to negotiate the sides, edges or ridgeline instead of the center of the slope. Pay attention that you are not on a cornice!

Expect avalanches especially on 30-45 degree angled slopes!

If several people in the party, cross suspect slopes (if you have to) one person at a time. Loosen poles and hardware to guide team should you be caught in the slide.

It’s a very weak snowpack out here in Colorado, big snow early followed by cold, lot’s of TG.

Your snow is actually much different than what we have here in the Pacific Northwest, but be aware of "persistent weak layers" in the snow pack after the next snowfall, aka "hoarfrost", etc.

BAD.

Now that's interesting stuff, Bean.

Both snowplow drivers who were killed on Red Mountain were guys I went to school with or in a nearby school. In both cases they should have never been sent up there in those conditions.

In the mid-80's I decided to take up with a few younger guys who were doing this weird backcountry skiing thing called telemark. Back to leather lace up boots, "beartrap" (no releases) tele bindings and wood skis. When I bought new Scarpa plastic boots, hotrod bindings with releases and new skis, I had a hard time figuring out how to tele with my new equipment.

These days I use my AT gear. Not sure if I could remember how to tele anymore........

Heard about that one yesterday. My brother went snowmobiling last weekend but loaded back up and came home. He said the writing was on the wall. I’ve been close to a few avalanches.. it’s why I’m a trail rider anymore, I don’t want any part of them.

For those residing or visiting the Pacific Northwest:

We are experiencing heavy snowfall and rains are expected ON the snowfields, afterwards.

VERY DANGEROUS !!

Wise to become familiar with avalanche forecasts in your locality if you visit affected terrain.

Latest avalanche news:

https://www.foxnews.com/us/avalanche-ski-resort-idaho

From that article:

I suspect that they're hiding it that he was skiing out of bounds and in an avalanche area. The ski areas are usually pretty good at keeping the danger zones well marked but those steep slopes with new powder are just too attractive some some people.

About that Idaho avalanche...they have 3 bodies now. Ski area crews had worked up there that morning and set charges to start slides. It didn't do enough. They let skiers on the runs thinking it was safe. There were 2 and possibly 3 slides later that day and 7 skiers on the hill. This link is about how 1 skier was rescued. Pretty scary. AVALANCHES

This was on a developed ski hill. Predicting an avalanche in the back country can be pretty tricky and sometimes very risky.