This week, we invite you to join us as we Pray for Snow and rally in support of west-central Montana’s Avalanche Forecasting and Education programs. The Pray for Snow fundraiser helps the West Central Montana Avalanche Foundation (aka Missoula Avalanche) raise the funding needed to run the avalanche center,...
West Central Montana Avalanche Center POSITION: Avalanche Center Lead Forecaster POSITION TYPE: Full-time, seasonal LOCATION: Missoula, Montana DATE POSTED: September 28, 2021 CLOSING DATE: October 30, 2021 BACKGROUND: The West Central Montana Avalanche Center (WCMAC) is seeking candidates for Lead Forecaster. The WCMAC is provided through the West Central Montana...
West Central Montana Avalanche Center POSITION: Avalanche Center Director POSITION TYPE: Full-time, seasonal LOCATION: Missoula, Montana DATE POSTED: May 4, 2021 CLOSING DATE: August 5, 2021 BACKGROUND: The West Central Montana Avalanche Center (WCMAC) is seeking candidates for WCMAC Director. The WCMAC is provided through the West Central Montana Avalanche...
As we reflect on a successful winter operating season, it is bittersweet for the West Central Montana Avalanche Center (WCMAC) to announce that Travis Craft is retiring and moving on from avalanche center duties. With a background in snow safety and outdoor education, Travis began working with the WCMAC...
This is the second of three articles in the case study of an avalanche accident that happened on Big St. Joseph Peak on Sunday, January 3, 2021. The first article included an overview of the accident and examined human factors and how heuristic traps can influence our decision making....
On January 3rd of 2021, two experienced skiers triggered an avalanche on the east face of St. Joseph Peak. One skier was caught and carried 300’. Luckily, he skied off the debris and was uninjured. Like all such incidents, there are valuable lessons to be learned through examination. Much...
As the mantra goes: Practice makes perfect. The ability to respond successfully in an avalanche boils down to training and knowing how to use your equipment: a beacon, probe, and shovel. Beacon Training Parks provide users of all ages, abilities, and experience levels with an opportunity to hone...
WINTER IS BACK, AND WE’RE LOVING LA NIÑA! You’ve prayed, hoped, and danced for snow all winter, and it’s finally here! Western Montana’s mountains are busier than ever before, with new and veteran backcountry users enjoying the goods. We want to help keep the stoke high while encouraging our...
If I am going to do just one test, I do an extended column test (ECT). It gives me some information on the strength of a weak layer, but most importantly, the likelihood of propagation. It is a simple test. A column 30cm (12”) by 90cm (36”) is...
What is SWE? SWE stands for Snow Water Equivalent. What it measures is the amount of liquid water in the snow. If you took a height of snow and melted it, the height of the water created is SWE. For example, if 10″ of snow falls at 10% density,...
