Yukon avalanche forecasts return this winter but not until March

The Yukon Avalanche Association will be issuing avalanche forecasts again this year, but not until late winter.

"We have managed to pull together enough money to have the forecast program continue and we'll be looking to affirm more funding to keep it going in the years coming up," says Alison Perrin, vice president of the association.

Last year, the Yukon government promised $60,000 per year for three years for the forecasting program. This is the second winter of the funding, but it's not enough to cover a full season. Even with extra money raised by the association, the two avalanche technicians won't be in the field until March. 

At that time, the association will start issuing twice-weekly condition forecasts for the White Pass and Wheaton Valley regions — popular areas for backcountry skiing and snowmobiling.

Perrin says until the forecasts are up, backcountry users are encouraged to check out the Avalanche Canada website, where people can post their field observations and read other groups' entries. 

"If people are out in the backcountry skiing or snowmobiling, if they can go to that website and upload the information and photos that they're seeing out there, that would be really great," she says. 

"That will be very useful, especially this season when we have that later forecast season starting." 

The forecast program was created by the Yukon Avalanche Association in 2011 with a federal grant.

This year the association has also received funding from Mountain Equipment Coop to hold education and outreach events and print more handouts and maps.