Ken Little
MSC-PYR's Mountain Weather Centre in Kelowna
Each winter season, an average to 10 to 15 people perish in snow
avalanches in Canada. The accelerating expansion in the use of avalanche
terrain by recreationalists and industry places an increasing segment of
the population at risk. Snow avalanche hazard is not confined to western
Canada.
Snow avalanche phenomena have been studied in Canada for over a century.
Historically, research into effective prediction methods has focused on
the engineering & structural aspects of snow avalanche formation. Snow
avalanche hazard assessment & prediction depends fundamentally upon
access to reliable meteorological input variables at scales well below
those of operational NWP.
The phenomena of snow avalanches in Canada is reviewed and discussed.
Suggestions are offered for MSC involvement in snow avalanche prediction.