Despite Workforce Challenges, Northwest Avalanche Center Leads Successful Season

The La Niña That Didn’t Quite Deliver

Last winter, La Niña was briefly in effect. The climate pattern caused by cooler-than-normal water temperatures in the Pacific is known for producing snowier and colder winters in the Pacific Northwest. 

But there’s a catch. The latest La Niña was forecasted to be weak which, which, instead of producing endless powder days across Washington and Oregon, tends to result in near-average or below-average snowfall at many Pacific Northwest mountains and ski resorts.  

That may be why, in January, the region saw a prolonged dry period during which most of NWAC’s weather stations went 19 days without seeing precipitation. The avalanche center, in its report, called it “one of the longest stretches of low [avalanche] danger anyone at NWAC can remember.”

The dry period produced layers of facets and surface hoar that would eventually cause slab avalanches when the snow returned. One of those avalanches led to the only fatality NWAC saw last winter. It occurred near Harts Pass, Washington, when two snowmobilers were caught in a large slide.

All told, NWAC published 1,345 avalanche forecasts and received 1,498 public observations. Cumulatively, its forecasters embarked on 329 field days to analyze the local snowpack.

The Avy App Expands

The avalanche forecast app developed by NWAC, Avy, now supports ten avalanche centers across the country and has 30,000 active users. 

NWAC has plans to expand Avy’s system to more avalanche centers and is working alongside the National, Sierra, and Sawtooth Avalanche Centers to build a new website platform. The web platform is in the testing phase, and NWAC hopes to release it this fall. 

According to NWAC, participating avalanche centers “will have access to a team of developers and designers to lean on for maintenance, new features, and best practices in user experience.”

NWAC’s Education and Outreach Efforts

NWAC, like other avalanche centers, does more than just provide avalanche forecasts—backcountry safety education and outreach are part of its mission, too. 

During the 2024-2025 season, it conducted 123 avalanche awareness classes with 3,446 attendees. NWAC also held 30 trailhead outreach events alongside other educational programs. “Each class and event welcomed new members into our community and delivered critical knowledge to foster a safer backcountry environment,” NWAC wrote. 

As next season approaches, Schell and D’Amico ended their letter on a cautious but optimistic note. “Backcountry use continues to grow, while federal support remains uncertain,” they wrote. “To keep pace—and to keep providing accurate forecasts, weather data, and outreach—we’ll need your support more than ever.”

To read the complete NWAC annual report, click here.