Snow Business - A firsthand account of producing an avalanche forecast.

Submitted by Eric Knoff on Sat, 03/15/2014 - 10:36

I'm dreaming of fresh and stable powder when the alarm cuts through the early morning silence like a buzz saw. I quickly roll over and check my phone.

It's 3:15 a.m.

There is no hitting snooze for fear that I'll fall back into the grip of sleep. I will myself out of bed to start my day.

An hour later I'm at the office, beginning the process of putting together the day's avalanche advisory. Sitting down in front of my computer, questions immediately start to boil to the surface. How much and where did it snow? What are the winds doing? What are temperatures going to be for the day? Were any avalanches triggered yesterday? The answers to these questions will ultimately determine what the day's avalanche hazard rating will be.

Publication
MSA
Date of Publication