NWAC’s Avy App
The Northwest Avalanche Center’s Avy App keeps the digital forecasting vitals at your fingertips without adding undue clutter. Nice work NWAC.
Let’s get this going the old school way: “There I was….”
There I was, skinning up a lightly forested south-facing windward slope. Just the other day, in fact. A slope often riddled with exposed downfall and just enough snow to set a skin track. But with this ample early winter in the Central Cascades, this slope, an afterthought on the way to the terrain beyond, got our attention. To quickly assess how much snow had deposited on a somewhat firm layer below, we probed ski poles, did a hand shear test, found things amply stable, and proceeded to have fun after our decidedly low-tech snow assessment.
A year from its initial release, I also took some time that morning to go a bit more hi-tech as I used the Avy App: a clean, streamlined app designed by folks at the Northwest Avalanche Center. We’ll get into the details, but what makes this digital useful is its lack of busyness—it caters to those seeking key information about a region’s or zone’s avalanche forecast, weather, and observations.
As a tool, its functionality begins with choosing an avalanche center to access data. The Avy App includes numerous, but not all, forecast centers. To date, the Avy App bundles forecasts and related data from the Bridger Teton Avalanche Center, Bridgeport Avalanche Center, Crested Butte Avalanche Center, Central Oregon Avalanche Center, Flathead Avalanche Center, Mount Shasta Avalanche Center, Mount Washington Avalanche Center, Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC), Sawtooth Avalanche Center, and the Sierra Avalanche Center.
As noted, the format is simple and presents a bit cleaner than if you were accessing a forecast center’s forecast, etc., using your phone or a desktop browser. In the case of the Avy App, once the forecast center is chosen, the specific agency’s zones populate with the familiar color coding of the National Avalanche Center. From there, choose your specific zone, and an avalanche forecast populates.
The developers call the app’s main screen a Consolidated Forecast View. Here’s their explanation:
“Through user interviews and analytics from our website, we know that most of our users are accessing just one zone versus comparing across many. We designed the app to aggregate all the information for a single zone in one spot to minimize time spent looking for information. By selecting your zone from the main map, you can quickly toggle between the avalanche forecast, weather forecast, weather station data, and observations for that zone. Additionally, one of the biggest complaints we received was that reading a forecast required significant scrolling, so we built collapsible sections. These sections not only limit scrolling but allow you to focus on each part of the forecast separately so you can plan your day better.”
The Avy App home screen after choosing a specific forecast center. In this instance, the app displays forecast zones for the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center.
The display once a specific zone is selected—The forecast displays. Tap the forecast for the full forecast, or scroll through the forecast zones on the screen’s bottom 1/2.
Just the tip of the forecast displayed here—if one kept scrolling, the full blown avalanche she forecast populates (which also includes access to weather and observations).
The point weather stations available for the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center.
Here, the data SNOTEL station for Grand Targhee are displayed.
Shown here, the display for “observations,” which can be selected on the bottom of the app’s display. Like usual, observations are displayed chronologically.
Other Avy App Functions
You can choose relevant weather data and observations from the bottom of the screen. Needless to say, this is all good beta to have regarding decision-making before you head into the field.
It seems that for most forecast centers, the weather data are displayed as small dots representing a weather/SNOTEL station.Click on the respective dot, and the relevant weather data will appear. NWAC’s weather data displays a bit differently, but regardless, accessing near real-time weather information like temperature, accumulated precipitation, snow depth, etc., is easy. Just a note: the full avalanche forecast accessed via the app should provide a relevant weather forecast if that is part of your respective avalanche center’s protocol.
Again, the app shines here because it allows the users to easily access the vital digital information they might need before heading into the field.
But wait, there’s more.
This digital tool also allows users to submit observations, which brings up some offline functionality. The app will cache (store) the last avalanche forecast accessed. So, even with no cell service, you can at least pull the forecast brief, including the problem for the day. According to the app developers, the offline forecast will be stored until the following day.
The ability to cache also applies to observations. You can make an observation in the field; the app will store it and then upload it automatically once you are back in service.
In my life, and certainly, when it comes to touring and planning, I’m trying to avoid digital noise when planning and executing a tour. The Avy App, in my opinion, does a good job of keeping it all simple and accessible while also not adding anything extraneous. If you are looking for the vitals related to an avalanche center’s forecasting products, the Avy App isn’t going to add to your phone’s clutter. It might just be an asset.
Price: Free to you and me
