Avalanche Resources on the Web
Websites with Avalanche Forecasts, Training, and More
Finding information to stay safe in avalanche terrain on the internet.
Popular winter activities such as skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing may take visitors away from groomed slopes and developed areas into pristine back country terrain. These areas are also where people find themselves with potential avalanche danger, sometimes with tragic results. Knowing where to find up-to-date avalanche information, advice on how to travel in these areas, and what to do if an avalanche does occur can mean the difference between a fun winter day or not coming home at all.
Know the Snow Conditions
Before hitting the back country slopes, go online and visit some of these web sites that have avalanche information. The U.S. Forest Service National Avalanche Center has a clickable map with links to state avalanche information centers that observe snow conditions and post reports on their sites of the current danger level. The Canadian Avalanche Centre provides a similar service for those skiing up north. Also, knowing the local weather forecast for the area to be visited is essential for planning logistics and how much food and equipment to bring.
Avalanche Training
Taking an avalanche course helps winter back country visitors gain the knowledge of how to asses snow conditions and make decisions as to whether the terrain is safe to travel. A course can also teach students how to use an avalanche transceiver, a device that when switched to “receive” mode can track and locate the signal from another transceiver worn by an avalanche victim. The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education provides such training, with links and contact information for course providers.
Medical Knowledge
Knowing what to do after the avalanche is very important, especially if there are medical injuries. Taking a course from a wilderness medicine organization, such as the Wilderness Medicine Institute, Wilderness Medical Associates, or Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities (SOLO), can help. These groups teach skills such as how to assess patients, utilize typical back country travel equipment for things like splints, and how to report an incident to other medical providers. Taking one of these courses can not only better develop one’s medical knowledge, but also boost self confidence in ability to handle an emergency.
Winter Camping
If there is an emergency while out in the mountains in winter, one should know the basics of winter camping. Dressing in warm layers, staying hydrated, eating, are some of the basics for staying warm in cold and snowy conditions.
