Friends Of Colorado Avalanche Information Center Announces Observations Challenge

Friends of Colorado Avalanche Information Center has launched the annual Observations Challenge, presented by Weston Backcountry, for the 2025-26 winter season.

Friends of Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to support avalanche forecasting and education throughout Colorado. FoCAIC has invested more $4 million into avalanche safety since 2008 and supports CAIC’s mission through community education and events, trailhead safety signage, membership program, and investing in technology innovations. 

The community-based program encourages backcountry users across Colorado to submit avalanche, snowpack, and weather observations to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), helping CAIC forecasters to better understand avalanche conditions throughout the state. Participants are entered for a chance to win prizes throughout the season.

Across Colorado’s mountains, CAIC forecasters publish daily avalanche reports covering approximately 28,000 square miles from November through May. However, forecasters can only cover a portion of that terrain each day, making public observations a critical piece of the forecasting process. Additional information from the field helps improve situational awareness as snowpack and weather conditions evolve.

“Public observations are essential to our work,” said Ethan Greene, director of CAIC. “With just 30 field staff covering a massive and complex mountain environment, we depend on information from the backcountry community to help us see the full picture. We truly couldn’t do this work without the support of our community.”

Friends of CAIC, the 510(c)(3) nonprofit partner that supports CAIC’s forecasting and education efforts, organizes the Observations Challenge to encourage public participation and awareness.

“Every backcountry day is a chance to learn something and build better habits,” said Aaron Carlson, executive director of Friends of CAIC. “If you’re paying attention to the snowpack and conditions and you submit a field report, you are doing two things: keeping yourself and your partners safer, and giving the rest of the backcountry community better information to make smarter decisions. This strengthens the avalanche forecasts and the entire backcountry community.” 

Community members do not need to be avalanche professionals or experienced backcountry travelers to submit an observation. Simple, timely reports from the field can help inform forecasts, influence travel decisions, and, in some cases, help prevent accidents.

The public is encouraged to watch for and submit observations related to:

• Avalanche activity 

• Cracking or collapsing of the snowpack

• Snowpack structure and conditions

• Heavy snowfall or rapid loading

• Wind transport and drifting snow

• Rapid warming

• Red flags and changing conditions

• Skiing or riding conditions 

Each month this season, one person who submits an observation will be selected to win gear and prizes from Weston Backcountry and other outdoor brands. One grand prize winner will receive their choice of a pair of skis, a splitboard, or a snowboard from Weston Backcountry.

Learn more and submit observations: support.friendsofcaic.org/pages/observations