Volunteers are essential to NWAC’s work – providing support at events, Trailhead Outreach, in the office, and on special projects. This program was developed to show our immense gratitude to those who contribute their time and talents to our mission. Through volunteering, you can earn NWAC memberships + membership gear and even a free AIARE Level 1, Level 2, or Rescue course.
Volunteers who give the following hours in a season are eligible for the following:
12+ Hours: NWAC Membership + NWAC hat, tshirt, or neck gaiter
20+ Hours: NWAC Membership + NWAC x Hydroflask Thermos
You can sign up for volunteer opportunities directly on our website. All volunteer hours are tracked by NWAC and can be viewed in your volunteer portal.
Are your sights set on a free AIARE course? Dates are listed below for the avalanche courses and other considerations to help you plan your season.
AIARE Level 1: March 5-8 (Th/F evening virtual classroom, Sat/Sun field days in the Mt Baker area)
AIARE Level 2: March 5-8 (Th/F evening virtual classroom, Sat/Sun field days in the Mt Baker area)
AIARE Rescue: Any available dates listed at Cascade Mountain Ascents (Mt Baker area)
* You must be signed up to complete 30 or more hours by February 5th. The hours do not need to be completed by this date, you just need to show that you are signed up to complete the required hours.
* All hours must be completed in the current season.
* Courses cannot be postponed to a future season.
* AIARE courses are run by Cascade Mountain Ascents and participants are subject to CMA’s requirements.
We are excited to announce that the Northwest Avalanche Center’s 2024/25 Annual Report is now available!
This year’s report captures a season shaped by change and uncertainty, yet defined by resilience, innovation, and the unwavering support of our community. Inside, you’ll find insights on:
• Key achievements from our 49th season • New technology and weather station innovations • A financial snapshot and recognition of our dedicated members, volunteers, and sponsors
As we look ahead to our 50th season, we invite you to explore the report and see how your support continues to make a difference for our community.
Thank you for making NWAC’s mission possible and supporting your local avalanche center.
After spending the last two years teaching English and gallivanting around the French Alps, I was ready to come back to my PNW roots and develop my start in the nonprofit and outdoor industry spaces. Excited to apply my communications and marketing background in a new position, NWAC has been the perfect place to combine my passion for mission-driven work with a great community excited about getting into the mountains.
What’s your role at NWAC, and what does a typical day look like for you?
As the newly appointed Volunteer and Communications Coordinator, I get to wear lots of different hats! I’m especially looking forward to supporting our fantastic network of volunteers, contributing to social media content and strategies, event planning, and helping out wherever possible to support and expand NWAC’s reach to backcountry enthusiasts of all levels and backgrounds.
What’s your favorite place in the NWAC Fx zones to spend time and what do you love about it?
Growing up skiing at Crystal means I’ll always have a soft spot for the West South zone, but I can’t wait to explore our office backyard in the Snoqualmie Pass zone!
What’s one thing you want every backcountry user to know?
The moment you step foot (or ski or board or sled!) into backcountry terrain, you are a backcountry skier/rider/snowshoer/user. Whether your first day on snowshoes or your 100th day skinning up for the season, avalanche safety still applies! Everyone deserves access to the outdoors, regardless of their experience level, but that also means learning about and respecting the mountain conditions, no matter what adventure takes you out there.
What excites you most about the future of NWAC and/or avalanche safety?
I’m so excited to be a part of NWAC’s commitment to making avalanche resources as accessible as possible for anyone stoked about getting into the backcountry. There are a lot of amazing projects in the works, including a new website to centralize avalanche center forecasts from across the country, continuing to build our community of volunteers and members, and developing more programs and opportunities for people of all backgrounds to get involved with NWAC.
Describe a particularly memorable day on snow from this past season.
Spending the last couple of winters in the French Alps meant I took full advantage of exploring some really cool terrain. Skiing at Chamonix on a bluebird day surrounded by a cathedral of alpine peaks like I’d never seen before made for one of the most epic ski memories I’ve ever had. I had multiple moments of slowing down just to take in the surroundings, reminding myself of how special it is to be able to connect to nature and the mountains this way!
A desire to be more immersed in the winter backcountry community, combined with motivation for mission-driven work, brought me to my initial role at NWAC. I feel fortunate to have landed in a job where I have the opportunity to utilize a variety of skills, be immersed in community, and tap into creativity at work. I’ve learned so much and met many incredible people through this job. I am grateful to be a part of a talented team of creatives, educators, innovators, and avalanche professionals.
What’s your role at NWAC, and what does a typical day look like for you?
My role recently shifted from Membership & Communications Coordinator to Development & Communications Manager…same realm but with a more strategic focus. Our days vary significantly throughout the year due to the seasonal nature of the org, but I’m usually working on a wide range of things—from creating social media and email content and taking photos/videos of forecasters on field days to shipping membership gear, cleaning up our Salesforce CRM, and planning NWAC events.
What’s one NWAC program or initiative you’ve been especially proud to contribute to?
I have really enjoyed playing a role in NWAC’s voice and communications over the past two seasons. It’s been fun and interesting to create images/videos and tell stories in a way that supports and aligns with NWAC’s mission. The content that our team created over the past two years helped drive the success of fundraising campaigns and NWAC events, which feels really worthwhile. I’m excited to take on a more strategic role in NWAC’s communications next season.
What’s your favorite place in the NWAC Fx zones to spend time and what do you love about it?
I’ve still barely dipped my toes into all of our zones, but I’ve gotten to sample a variety of them over the past two years, from WA Pass to Crystal backcountry to Hood and more. When I first moved to WA, I lived in the Methow, so the North Cascades have my heart, but I’m also loving the East Central zone as I recently moved to Roslyn and had the opportunity to participate in a hut-based AIARE 2 at the Fortune Peak huts in the Teanaway this past winter!
What’s one thing you want every backcountry user to know?
I want every backcountry user to know that you get to decide how you interact with the backcountry. Whether you’re out for a leisurely stroll, tearin’ it up on a sled, or chasing big lines, you get to choose your style and flavor of getting out there.
What excites you most about the future of NWAC and/or avalanche safety?
I am most excited about the recent evolution of the non-profit team. We’re stoked to bring on an additional team member who will support the non-profit’s work and increase our capacity to support our forecasters and engage with our community. I’m excited to see what we can accomplish with a larger team, more experienced staff (Devon, Liz, and I have worked together for 2 seasons now!), and a continually evolving dynamic.
Describe a particularly memorable day on snow from this past season.
I joined forecaster Payton on a field day this season in Icicle Creek, and it turned into a bit more of an adventure than we anticipated. We spent most of the day hiking with skis on our backs, encountered a whole lot of dirt, wind-scoured surfaces, and dense trees. I have a really funny video of Payton climbing over (and under?) some downed trees saying, “This is what we get paid for!” Avalanche forecasters work hard for the forecasts they create
I couldn’t get a job in 2010 when I moved to Seattle so I started volunteering for NWAC. There were only 2 nonprofit staff at the time and they eventually created a position for me. After 5 years I moved to Bozeman, MT and did a number of jobs in both nonprofit and tech. 9 years later, I was helping NWAC solve for a new website initiative which led to my return.
What’s your role at NWAC, and what does a typical day look like for you?
Product Manager – I manage our mobile app (Avy) and a new collaborative website build between avalanche centers across the country. Basically we’re building a condo complex for avalanche centers rather than building and maintaining our own single-family homes. I spend a lot of time coordinating stakeholders and the design/build team. There are a lot of decisions to make around which features to prioritize within our small organization budget.
What’s one NWAC program or initiative you’ve been especially proud to contribute to?
Currently I’m really proud of all the collaboration and momentum we have behind building these tech products. Rusty x NWAC 1.0: I was really proud of the rebrand we did back in like 2011(?!). The rebrand was followed by a ton of outreach and it felt like we were able to turn NWAC into an organization that people wanted to be a part of.
What’s your favorite place in the NWAC Fx zones to spend time and what do you love about it?
It’s been a minute but the Snoqualmie Pass zone for its hidden gems.
What’s one thing you want every backcountry user to know?
Scott Schell told me 10+ years ago when I was a young chucklehead: Persistent Weak Layers are truly so unpredictable and as uncertainty increases, your terrain choice should become equally conservative. That framing really helped me refrain from trying to outsmart the problem.
What excites you most about the future of NWAC and/or avalanche safety?
Obviously all the tech stuff we’re working on. There’s so much opportunity to streamline not just our forecasting products but all the other content that is redundant center to center. I think it’s the vision and collaboration that particularly lights me up, but the resulting products have so much potential for both the users and the staff behind the scenes.
Describe a particularly memorable day on snow from this past season.
Nowadays it’s just as much about the people, place, and community as it is about sliding on snow. I had a string of visitors in February, and I got to show them some of my favorite spots in some world-class conditions. Sharing that with them and them experiencing why I live where I do felt pretty special.
A fun and windy path! My education background is in Global Public Health and after college I was living in rural Guatemala doing health and education work. I absolutely loved my time in Guatemala, but the thing I missed most was access to mountain recreation, so when I returned to my home state of Washington in 2018 I wanted to ski and climb as much as possible before I “decided what’s next”. That’s when I learned you can actually make a career out of this whole mountain thing – and that quickly became my path. I worked a variety of guiding and outdoor education jobs before coming to NWAC in 2023. Backcountry skiing and avalanche education is my true passion in the broader outdoor industry and I knew the job at NWAC would be the perfect intersection of that passion and my background in education program management.
What’s your role at NWAC, and what does a typical day look like for you?
I’m the Education, Volunteer, & Outreach Manager here at the avalanche center. I develop and oversee various education programs, run our Trailhead Outreach program, and work with our awesome instructors and volunteers. When I’m in the office I start my day by updating my coworkers about whatever bad reality tv show I’m watching. After I’m done with that critical work… no two days are the same! I write lesson plans, develop curriculum, train and support instructors and volunteers, set up classes with outside orgs, organize Trailhead Outreach days, apply for grants, help plan events like NSAW and Meet Your Forecaster, and all kinds of other things! It’s interesting, varied, and meaningful work.
What’s one NWAC program or initiative you’ve been especially proud to contribute to?
Probably our Volunteer Give-Back Program, where volunteers can earn NWAC memberships and free avalanche courses through volunteering. Volunteers are so essential to NWAC’s work – we truly could not do what we do without them. They run the show at fundraising events, connect backcountry users to NWAC resources at Trailhead Outreach events across our region, and help package and ship your membership gifts – among countless other things. I am endlessly appreciative of them and impressed by their passion and commitment to our mission. Offering NWAC memberships and free avalanche courses to our most active volunteers each season not only aligns with our mission, but is a way to show our appreciation for everything they do for our organization.
What’s your favorite place in the NWAC forecast zones to spend time and what do you love about it?
I’ve spent the most time romping around the Snoqualmie Pass zone and have a love for its familiar and rugged terrain. However, I would say I’m most inspired by exploring the Salmon la Sac and Teanaway areas of the East Central zone these days. It’s in my backyard and I love how quiet and wild it is. Many nooks and crannies to be explored.
What’s one thing you want every backcountry user to know?
No matter how much you know, there’s always so much more to learn about snow, avalanches, and travelling in the backcountry. It is truly a lifelong endeavor. I always joke that the more I learn the more questions I have. Stay humble and never say no to a learning opportunity.
What excites you most about the future of NWAC and/or avalanche safety?
Don’t get me started! I looove to daydream about the future of NWAC’s education programs Our education ethos is to meet unmet needs in the avalanche education landscape and I feel like we are really leaning into that in a way that I hope will greatly benefit backcountry users in the Pacific Northwest. As we continue to improve long-time programs and build new programs, we’re approaching everything from a place of “what need is this serving?” We’re able to think strategically about which populations we’re serving well, which populations we’re not engaging as well, and how to make strides towards closing that gap. We’ve got some new education programming debuting next season and I’m really excited for what more NWAC can do in the future.
Describe a particularly memorable day on snow from this past season.
I broke my wrist skiing at the end of January (okay fine I wasn’t skiing, I slipped in the parking lot in my ski boots). ANYWAY. I thought it would be a totally cool and fine idea to ski some chill groomers with my wrist in a cast… and it was indeed cool and fine until I got hit by another skier a few runs into the day and broke my pinky finger on the same hand. The orthopedic department hates to see me coming! Not my best days on snow, but certainly memorable ones…
NP staff member Cauri buckles Devon’s boots for her on a team ski day in which Devon’s wrist was still broken
As the 2025/26 season approaches, we figured it was the perfect time to introduce the incredible team behind NWAC’s non-profit operations. This dedicated group is working hard throughout the summer to expand NWAC’s educational programming, deepen community engagement, and strengthen our fundraising efforts. With fresh energy and big goals, the team is more excited than ever to support and grow our impact in the season ahead.
This week, we’re chatting with Liz Daniel, Deputy Executive Director.
What brought you to NWAC?
When I saw a job opening at NWAC, I was ecstatic about the chance to combine my non-profit development experience with my passion for skiing and the outdoors. I was eager to become more involved in the PNW backcountry community, and I’m so glad my path brought me to NWAC! It’s been a whirlwind of two years, and I’ve met so many incredible people through my job here.
What’s your role at NWAC, and what does a typical day look like for you?
I’m NWAC’s Deputy Executive Director. I develop our fundraising strategies and event plans, manage the non-profit staff, and work with board members, community members, and stakeholders to ensure NWAC’s longevity and success in our mission. Every day feels pretty different, which keeps me on my toes and learning new skills. Some days I’m drafting grant proposals, some days I’m creating fundraising campaigns, and some days are full of meetings with NWAC’s partners.
What’s one NWAC program or initiative you’ve been especially proud to contribute to?
I’ve really enjoyed helping shape the Northwest Snow & Avalanche Workshop (NSAW) the past couple of years. When I started at NWAC, we changed the format to interactive breakout sessions rather than a full day of lecture-style workshop. It’s so fun to help find all of the great NSAW speakers and see everyone moving from classroom to classroom throughout the day. The energy and community building at the workshop is top notch!
What’s your favorite place in the NWAC forecast zones to spend time and what do you love about it?
Oooh this is a tough question. I’m really fond of memories at Crystal Mountain in the West South zone (my husband proposed on Mount Crumpit!). But when it comes to spending summertime in the mountains, I’m always awed by the North Cascades in the East North zone. While I’m there, I always make it a priority to stock up on a salted baguette and goat cheese from the Mazama Store for any and all hikes.
What’s one thing you want every backcountry user to know?
It’s okay to not be a hardcore backcountry recreationist, and it doesn’t make you less-than! You don’t have to be chasing huge lines to consider yourself a backcountry skier/boarder/etc. Sometimes with backcountry culture, it feels like you have to be out every weekend, finding the best snow and impressive routes, but it’s totally fine to be a leisure skier! I have to remind myself of this all the time. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype.
What excites you most about the future of NWAC and/or avalanche safety?
I’m excited about all of NWAC’s innovation. It was incredible to be part of the Avy app launch my first year at NWAC, and now we have a huge website rebuild project in the works. I’ve seen the US avalanche centers come together and collaborate more than ever this past year, and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve now that we’re pooling our resources. NWAC innovates like no other – it’s inspiring to be a part of!
Describe a particularly memorable day on snow from this past season.
I love a team ski day – especially when it involves glitter. I discovered glitter freckles this season, and that made our NWAC ski day even more memorable. 10/10 highly recommend adding glitter freckles, temporary tattoos, and/or boot charms to your next day on the snow.
Don’t Miss NWAC’s Avalanche Awareness Classes for Motorized Users!
Your sled is tuned up and the snow is falling… but have you refreshed your avalanche safety knowledge? NWAC offers FREE virtual Avalanche Awareness classes every month specifically for snowmobilers, so that you can make every ride a round trip. Learn the basics of avalanche safety or refresh what you already know in this 90-minute class led by a motorized avalanche instructor.
2024/25 Class Schedule Classes take place on Zoom the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm PST. Click the links below to register for a class.
The Climate Prediction Center asserts: “La Niña is favored to emerge in September-November 2024 (60% chance) and is expected to persist through January-March 2025.” Like most things in life, the devil is in the details. So how do we answer the questions you’ve likely been daydreaming about? Are we really going to get a La Niña winter? What will that mean for our snowpack? We explore how the snowpack in our region responds to the 3-month moving average of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomalies in the middle of our winter season (also known as December-January-February or “DJF” anomalies).
Photo by Matt Patterson
The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a period of fluctuation in SST and the air pressure of the overlying atmosphere across the equatorial Pacific Ocean. ENSO has three phases: El Niño, La Niña, and Neutral. The October 10th CPC forecast predicts the DJF anomaly this season will either be a 5% chance of a strong La Niña, 25% chance of a moderate La Niña, 41% chance of a weak La Niña, 29% chance of neutral conditions, or a 1% chance we enter weak El Niño conditions in early 2025. Quite a range of potential outcomes!
Before your mind wanders too far with all these possibilities, let’s compare the percentage of normal peak seasonal snow depth (inches) against the DJF anomaly strength (ENSO phase) using our snowpack climatology dataset.
Snowpack Climatology Dataset
A moderate La Niña tends to be quite favorable for snowfall along the west slopes and crest of the Cascades (>110% of normal). Peak snow depth is markedly lower for a weak La Niña, except at Mission Ridge, but remains near normal. The outcome tilts slightly more negative in an ENSO neutral phase where slightly below normal conditions are favored at all stations except Timberline. Well-below-average peak snow depths (76-84% of normal) would be anticipated should we tip into a weak El Niño by January (1% chance). Note that Mission Ridge (on the east slopes of the Cascades) has a weaker signal due to ENSO than the stations near or west of the Cascade Crest and therefore doesn’t follow the same trend.
If we look specifically at an average of the four sites with the longest and most robust data records (Mt Baker, Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie Pass, and Paradise), we can see the scatter of the data. The graph below illustrates the relationship between DJF SST anomalies and peak snow depths averaged across these sites. For every 1°C increase in SST anomaly, peak snow depth decreases by 1 foot. This relationship is statistically significant, with a p-value of 0.0052, confirming that warmer winters (associated with El Niño) lead to lower snowpacks across the Pacific Northwest. If you recall the recent 2023-24 season (star on the plot below), it was a shallower peak snowpack than we would have anticipated from the ENSO regression trendline.
If we zoom in a bit closer, we can see data in the range of possible outcomes for the 2024-25 winter:
All moderate and strong La Niña seasons in the dataset have peak snow depths greater than or equal to the mean for ENSO neutral. And all of these moderate and strong La Niña years exceed typical snow depth values of an El Niño year by 5% or more. All that to say, if the negative Sea Surface Temperature anomaly intensifies sufficiently, we’re in store for a great season!
Photo by Matt Patterson
Some less-than-stellar snowpack years start coming into the mix as we head into the most probable ENSO phases for the 2024-25 season–a weak or neutral La Niña–with little to no weighting on the dice. Some of the worst seasons in PNW history have occurred in a weak El Niño, so fingers crossed the Niño 3.4 region of the Pacific Ocean (where we measure ENSO SST anomalies) doesn’t enter El Niño territory by January. Fortunately, the odds of that are very low!
To summarize, the strength of an anticipated La Niña ENSO phase has a major influence on our chances for an above-average snow season in our forecast zones. A moderate La Niña or stronger gives us very high chances of normal to above normal peak snowpacks. Whereas a weak La Niña or ENSO neutral conditions give us a range of potential outcomes close to the overall average for our region.
So if you want to load the dice in favor of a cold, snowy winter in our mountains, root for strong upwelling of cold water off the coast of South America!
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Disclaimers:
The datasets are not fully quality-controlled.
The impact of long-term climatic changes has not been incorporated into this study, but preliminary analysis suggests that ENSO impacts remain larger than the overall climate trends.
