Next Season's Goals

• Work with the Friends of the SAC to secure recurring funding for our 4th Forecaster position and add organizational capacity with an eye toward future expansion of our geographical footprint.

• Reestablish our intern program as COVID-conditions allow.

• Host and collaborate with a foreign avalanche professional as part of the USFS International Visitor program.

• Host in-person education events (fingers crossed!) while using technology to stream and record our presentations.

• Study when users consume our products, and evaluate potential changes to the timing of our products.

• Continue to work with other U.S. avalanche centers on shared web tools and products, focusing on weather data visualization tools. These joint projects are a more efficient use of financial resources and provide a more uniform user experience from one avalanche center to the next.

• Refine current web products and develop new interfaces to provide easily understandable avalanche, snow, and weather information for novice through advanced users.

• Facilitate a “forecaster exchange” with the ski patrol and snow safety departments at Big Sky Resort.

• Increase the quantity and quality of our public observations using a video to demonstrate how easy it is to submit impactful information.

• Increase the scope of the forecaster writing skills and editing program to improve our communication skills and, ultimately, our products.

• Integrate the most current research findings into our social media and video production procedures to improve our offerings.

• Assist Thunder Dragon in completing a national level, short video on how avalanche centers impact mountain communities.

• Work with the Friends of the SAC to increase local avalanche awareness offerings for the Spanish-speaking community.

• Continue to make inroads with, and increase outreach to, the motorized community, which makes up 24 of Idaho’s last 26 backcountry avalanche fatalities.

• Increase our outreach efforts in Snake River plain communities from the Boise metro area to the Idaho Falls area, focusing on motorized users.

• Work with the USFS National Avalanche Center to assess options to provide increased avalanche education and information for neighboring “unsupported” areas in southern and eastern Idaho.

• Continue work on ongoing technology transfer and research projects to benefit both avalanche professionals and recreational users.

• Work on our riding skills—we’re getting better, but no one is wondering if we are pro riders!