Friends of Colorado Avalanche Information Center has launched the annual Observations Challenge for the 2025-2026 winter season.
The community-based program encourages backcountry users across Colorado to submit avalanche, snow pack 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 snow pack and weather conditions evolve.
“Public observations are essential to our work,” said Ethan Greene, director of the 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 snow pack 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 snow pack.
- Snow pack 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. One grand prize winner will receive their choice of a pair of skis, a split-board, or a snowboard.
Learn more and submit observations at support.friendsofcaic.org/pages/observations.