Avalanche Canada Forecast Program expands for 2021-22
New forecast regions and new field teams in place for this winter.
Avalanche Canada’s first forecasts for 2021-22 were published Nov. 25. This year is particularly exciting as they’ve added Vancouver Island to our regions, and the North Rockies and Yukon regions will be receiving daily forecasts for the first time.
Here’s what you should know about our forecasting program this winter:
• Avalanche Canada is providing regular forecasts for Vancouver Island for the first time! Thanks to long-term BC funding, they now have a three-person field team on Vancouver Island, supplying our forecasters with the data required for the daily bulletin. They’d like to thank the Vancouver Island Avalanche Centre Society for doing such great work over the past 15 years. Avalanche Canada is grateful to be building on their success.
• Avalanche Canada also has a new field team in northwest BC, based out of Smithers. The team will be collecting local snow, avalanche, and weather information to augment our regional forecasts for that area.
• Avalanche Canada will be publishing daily forecasts for the Yukon and North Rockies regions. When we started forecasting for these regions in 2019-20, Avalanche Canada only
published bulletins three times a week. Last winter, Avalanche Canada increased that to four times weekly, and now they’re able to deliver daily forecasts thanks to an investment in more forecasting staff.
• Avalanche Canada has a field team in Newfoundland as well, helping us monitor conditions in the western mountains of that province. With their help we’ll be launching a six-week pilot project later this winter, providing a regional forecast twice a week starting in February. They’re excited about that!
• Continuing from last year, our forecasts will be partly bilingual, and we will be issuing abbreviated forecasts by text. We will also publish morning updates if the weather overnight is significantly different than expected. All morning updates will be reflected in the forecast headline, so always double check in the morning in case you need to revert to your Plan B (or come up with a Plan C).
If Avalanche Canada has a field team in your region, lucky you! Keep an eye out for them and make sure to say hi if you see them in a parking lot or mountain top. Be sure to follow your local team on Instagram and/or Facebook, where they will be posting regularly about conditions in your region.
Please check Avalanche Canada’s blog https://www.avalanche.ca/blogs/persistent-slab-avalanches-in-southern-interior
“Albertans are blessed to be surrounded by vast mountain scenery that provides access to incredible year-round recreational outdoor opportunities. In addition to offering plenty of beauty and recreation activities, our mountain regions come with inherent risks, such as avalanche danger and other winter hazards,” Jason Nixon, Minister of Environment and Parks Said in a prepared statement.
“It’s important that Alberta recreationalists are aware of the basics of avalanche safety as well as the tools and resources available for them to access these opportunities during the winter months in a safe and enjoyable way… Avalanche Canada, in partnership with the federal government and other jurisdictions, agencies and organizations across Canada, offer a variety of services, such as daily avalanche forecasts, avalanche safety training and focused outreach programs and events that can teach everyone – regardless of knowledge or skill level – how to stay safe in avalanche areas.
“The Alberta government is grateful for the services Avalanche Canada provides and is proud to have provided a multi-year grant of $1.25 million that helps keep Alberta recreationists safe by supporting the development and promotion of avalanche education and public safety information. You can increase your knowledge about winter safety by signing up for the free online webinars hosted by Avalanche Canada. These webinars focus on all things avalanche safety and run until March. Pre-registration is required.