Avalanche Forecaster

Alan Jones

"It’s a very inexact science,” says avalanche forecaster Alan Jones, ”you have to draw upon a lot of different facets of your knowledge and experience to get the job done.” The engineering graduate began his career in environmental consulting, performing geological and environmental engineering in the field. It wasn’t until one winter when he worked as an avalanche technician that he realized his engineering skills could be used elsewhere. "I had done a lot of mapping of landslide hazards, and so it was just kind of natural to also do the same for avalanches. It’s a different material, but they have similar mechanics.”

Shortly after, Alan returned to school and completed a master’s in civil engineering with a focus on avalanche mechanics. "I like the combined field knowledge that you gain by observing avalanches and being in the field and there’s a real science behind it.” Alan’s job is different than that of a local avalanche forecaster. As a regional avalanche forecaster, he spends half his time during the winter season at his desk. A local forecaster working, for example, at a ski hill "might perform snowpack tests or conduct some explosive avalanche control to assess the snow stability. They can drive anywhere to their forecast area in a day.”

Alan’s regions maybe 100 times as large as a ski hill forecast area, meaning that instead of being able to collect meteorological data first-hand, he must rely heavily on weather and snowpack data sent to him by a network of observers, usually via computer. Alan sorts through it and provides the public with the appropriate warnings based on this information. Alan enjoys using the array of skills and knowledge necessary to perform his job, including a solid understanding of meteorology and snow science. "An avalanche forecaster also needs good communication skills, because we do a lot of writing and speaking to the media.” Sometimes he must also be part psychic. "Part of our job is to foresee when people will be out in the mountains and when accidents are most likely to occur.”

When Alan is able to step away from his desk, it’s usually to examine avalanche dangers in different mountain ranges, teach avalanche safety, or give public presentations. "It’s really a great combination of indoor and outdoor activities.” One of the drawbacks of his job is that the work is seasonal. "I’d say 90 percent of avalanche forecasters do some other kind of work during the summertime.” Alan himself works as an avalanche engineering consultant and part-time researcher in the summer. Alan says he’s also tired of the public misconception that all avalanche forecasters are inherent risk-takers without any real care about the dangerous nature of their job. "There’s this misconception that if you choose to go out into the mountains, you are taking undue risks…avalanches are unknown to a lot of people and there’s this perception that it’s risky.” But, he adds, "with knowledge and skill you can manage those risks and travel safely in the mountains”—something he says avalanche forecasters do well.