State of the Snowpack & Avalanche Canada Announce Collaboration Agreement
State of the Snowpack (SOTS) is proud to announce an official Collaboration Agreement with Avalanche Canada (AvCan) — a major step forward in strengthening our shared commitment to public avalanche safety, awareness, and education across Canada’s mountain communities.
A Shared Mission for Safer Backcountry Travel
Avalanche Canada is the national public avalanche safety organization, responsible for delivering daily avalanche forecasts, education programs, and outreach initiatives throughout Canada’s mountain regions. Their work informs and empowers thousands of backcountry users every season, helping people make safer choices and return home at the end of every day in the mountains.
Through this agreement, SOTS and AvCan will work hand in hand to:
Amplify public safety messaging through shared communication channels and outreach.
Collaborate at SOTS events across BC and Canada, giving AvCan forecasters and educators opportunities to connect directly with backcountry users in their communities.
Promote accessible avalanche education, encouraging continued learning, awareness, and personal responsibility in the backcountry.
With over 35 SOTS events planned for the 2025/26 season, this collaboration ensures that Avalanche Canada’s national forecasting expertise connects with local, on-the-ground snowpack knowledge — reaching people where they are, in the communities that depend on it most.
“We really value the work State of the Snowpack is doing and are pleased to support and be part of it.” — Gilles Valade, Executive Director, Avalanche Canada
This collaboration formalizes years of informal collaboration and reflects a shared goal: connecting science, safety, and community to reduce avalanche incidents across Canada.
Explore Avalanche Canada’s Resources
Avalanche Canada offers a wealth of tools and learning materials to help every backcountry user make informed decisions. Whether you’re new to the mountains or a seasoned adventurer, these resources are essential:
Avalanche Forecasts: Published daily throughout the winter season, they provide danger ratings, avalanche problems, terrain and travel advice, and avalanche, snowpack, and weather summaries. Check your local forecast at www.avalanche.ca.
AvySavvy: A free online avalanche tutorial that introduces users to how avalanches form, how to identify avalanche terrain, the daily process for a day in the backcountry, and companion rescue basics. It’s a great starting point for anyone planning to venture into the backcountry, or a good refresher if you’ve taken an AST course. AvySavvy Course
Avalanche Canada Training Courses: An Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST) course is your essential avalanche training starting point. Make sure you and all your riding companions have taken one. Keep learning more with their other courses. Find a course provider near you using Avalanche Canada’s AST Provider Map. Find an AST Course
MIN Reports: Sharing your own avalanche and snowpack observations to help others stay safe. Submit a Mountain Information Network (MIN) report to contribute to the community database of real-time snowpack and avalanche information. Submit a MIN Report
Working Together for Public Safety
Both organizations share the belief that community connection is key to saving lives in the backcountry. By combining Avalanche Canada’s forecasting and educational leadership with SOTS’s grassroots, community-level outreach, this collaboration bridges national expertise with local engagement.
We’re grateful to Avalanche Canada for their ongoing collaboration and for recognizing the value of the community-driven education that powers every SOTS event. Together, we’re creating a stronger, more connected, and safer mountain community across Canada.
