Northwest Avalanche Center
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersNorth Bend, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Northwest Avalanche Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Northwest Avalanche Center
- Legal name
- Friends of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center
- Website
- https://nwac.us
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Northwest Avalanche Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Avalanche Forecasting Services
- NAICS
- Skiing Facilities (713920)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mountain Safety & Patrol Services (Avalanche Training, Rescue, Medical) (THAAAJAI)
Keywords
Where Northwest Avalanche Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North Bend
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Northwest Avalanche Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Private Donations and Memberships: The non-profit Northwest Avalanche Center is funded entirely by private donations and membership fees. 4,000+ members provide over $500,000 in support each year. Workplace giving programs with matching gifts generated over $86,000 last year.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Title sponsors (Backcountry Access, Enumclaw Powersports, Outdoor Research) support field staff with gear and equipment. Primary and supporting sponsors provide additional financial and in-kind support.
- USFS Forecasting Program Funding: The NWAC Forecasting Program is administered by USFS Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest with cooperative agreement funding from federal agencies.
- Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Accepts stock donations, bequests, life insurance policies, qualified retirement plan/IRA designations, and charitable lead trusts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | One time | Free Basic Awareness Classes |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership/Donation Levels |
| Freemium | Free | AvyApp - Free Download |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Northwest Avalanche Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NWAC issues daily avalanche forecasts for 10 zones across Washington State and Northern Oregon, mountain weather forecasts, and operates 53+ remote weather stations providing real-time snowpack and weather data. The center delivers these products through the Avy mobile app, the nwac.us website, and approximately 300 free or low-cost avalanche awareness classes annually. Operations are funded primarily through private donations, memberships, and a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Forest Service.
Product overview
NWAC operates as a public-private partnership offering a unified suite of avalanche safety products. The core offerings include the Avy App (mobile application for iOS/Android) and AvyWeb (shared website platform for avalanche centers), both of which connect to the Avalanche Forecast Platform. Supporting infrastructure includes the NWAC main website providing forecasts for 10 zones, a network of 53 remote weather stations, and an education program. The technology stack enables 15 avalanche centers to share infrastructure through AvyApp and AvyWeb.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Avy: Technology team and products including AvyApp (mobile app for iOS and Android that delivers avalanche forecasts, weather data, and field observations) and AvyWeb (website platform for avalanche centers).
- AvyApp
- AvyWeb
Products and services
- Avy Mobile App
- AvyWeb Platform
- Daily Avalanche Forecasts
- Mountain Weather Forecasts
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1,300 forecasts issued annually across 10 zones
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Northwest Avalanche Center
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Northwest Avalanche Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Northwest Avalanche Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor, primary and secondary.
- US Forest ServicecoreNWAC Forecasting Program administered by USFS Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Cooperative agreement established in 1978 formalizing USFS administration. Two USFS avalanche meteorologists and seven USFS avalanche specialists operate the forecasting program.
- Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)corePrimary funding partner supporting NWAC forecasting operations. WSDOT avalanche program maintains weather stations and shares data for highway operations on I-90 and North Cascades Highway.
- National Park ServicecorePartner sharing financial and on-site maintenance of weather stations. Olympic and Mt Rainier National Park rangers contribute field observations and support avalanche safety operations.
- Washington State Parks and Recreation CommissioncorePrimary funding partner including Snowmobile and Snowpark Programs. Supports NWAC operations and weather station network.
- Pacific Northwest Ski Areas AssociationcorePartner supporting NWAC forecasting program. Ski area operations contribute weather station data and maintain stations within their resorts.
- National Avalanche Center (NAC)coreNAC manages the Avalanche Forecast Platform (AFP) used by 17 of 22 US avalanche centers. NWAC collaborates with NAC to build shared digital tools including AvyApp and AvyWeb platforms.
- NW Winter Sports FoundationminorFunding partner supporting NWAC forecasting program operations.
- Sawtooth Avalanche Center (SAC)coreSignificant contributor to AvyApp development. Second avalanche center to join the multi-center app functionality after NWAC. SAC contributed to technical groundwork enabling national app deployment.
- Sierra Avalanche Center (SAC)corePartner in AvyWeb joint initiative. Launched on V1 of the multi-tenant website platform alongside Sawtooth Avalanche Center.
- Backcountry AccessprimaryTitle sponsor supporting NWAC field staff with high quality gear and equipment. Provides raffle prizes for events like NSAW.
- Enumclaw PowersportsprimaryTitle sponsor providing gear support for NWAC field staff. Equipment helps forecasters access remote terrain for observations.
- Outdoor ResearchprimaryTitle sponsor supporting field staff with gear and equipment. Provides raffle prizes for community events.
- Black Diamond EquipmentsecondaryPrimary sponsor providing gear donations for NWAC operations and community events.
- Gear AidsecondaryPrimary sponsor supporting NWAC through gear donations and event sponsorship.
- ONX MapssecondaryPrimary sponsor supporting NWAC through corporate sponsorship.
- American Avalanche Association (A3)minorNWAC staff participate in A3 professional development. A3 offers Resilience Project for grief support. A3 course catalog built into AvyWeb platform.
- American Alpine ClubminorPartner providing grief support resources through the Climbing Grief Fund for community members affected by avalanche incidents.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Northwest Avalanche Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC): The oldest avalanche forecasting center in the US (founded 1973), CAIC provides avalanche forecasts, weather data, and education for Colorado. Direct peer offering the same fundamental product (zone-based avalanche forecasts) with a similar public-private partnership model.
- Sawtooth Avalanche Center: Avalanche forecasting center for central Idaho. Significant contributor to AvyApp development and partner on AvyWeb platform. Direct peer in the same multi-center technology ecosystem and offering comparable forecast and education services.
- National Avalanche Center (NAC): National coordinator for US avalanche forecasting and administrator of the Avalanche Forecast Platform (AFP) used by 17 of 22 US centers. Strong technology partner and operational peer to NWAC, with overlapping governance and shared platform infrastructure.
- Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center: Avalanche forecasting center serving the Teton and Wyoming ranges. Direct peer in the national avalanche center network with parallel forecasting operations, education programs, and public-private partnership structure.
- West Central Montana Avalanche Center: Avalanche forecasting center covering western Montana. Direct peer operating similar forecast and education services with smaller geographic footprint. Comparable public-private partnership structure and target user base.
- Sierra Avalanche Center: Avalanche forecasting center for the Sierra Nevada region of California. Partner with NWAC on the AvyWeb joint initiative and on the Avalanche Forecast Platform. Direct peer offering zone-based avalanche forecasts for a different but analogous mountain region.
- Utah Avalanche Center: Avalanche forecasting center covering the Wasatch and other Utah mountain ranges. Direct peer operating the same forecast-plus-education model with similar user base (backcountry skiers, snowmobilers, climbers). Provides additional peer benchmarking for funding and operational scale.
- Mount Shasta Avalanche Center: Avalanche forecasting center serving California's Mt. Shasta region. Direct peer in the USFS-administered avalanche center network, with smaller operational scale but analogous mission and partnership model.
Broad incumbents
- American Avalanche Association (A3): US national professional organization for avalanche practitioners, providing certification, education, and professional development for the avalanche industry. Broader industry peer with overlapping membership; NWAC staff actively participate in A3 programs.
- American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE): National provider of avalanche education curriculum and certification courses. EdTech/training peer in the same avalanche safety ecosystem; NWAC's Executive Director Scott Schell is a former AIARE instructor and trainer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Northwest Avalanche Center social profiles
Digital presenceNorthwest Avalanche Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Northwest Avalanche Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles22 records
Northwest Avalanche Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Northwest Avalanche Center M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Northwest Avalanche Center
What does Northwest Avalanche Center do?
NWAC issues daily avalanche forecasts for 10 zones across Washington State and Northern Oregon, mountain weather forecasts, and operates 53+ remote weather stations providing real-time snowpack and weather data. The center delivers these products through the Avy mobile app, the nwac.us website, and approximately 300 free or low-cost avalanche awareness classes annually. Operations are funded primarily through private donations, memberships, and a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Forest Service.
Is Northwest Avalanche Center a public or private company?
Northwest Avalanche Center is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Northwest Avalanche Center founded?
Northwest Avalanche Center was founded in 1975. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Northwest Avalanche Center based?
Northwest Avalanche Center is headquartered in North Bend, United States, in the North America region.
How does Northwest Avalanche Center make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Private Donations and Memberships are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, USFS Forecasting Program Funding and planned Giving and Estate Gifts.
Who are Northwest Avalanche Center's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), Sawtooth Avalanche Center, National Avalanche Center (NAC), Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center, West Central Montana Avalanche Center, Sierra Avalanche Center, Utah Avalanche Center and Mount Shasta Avalanche Center. Broad incumbents are American Avalanche Association (A3) and American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE).
Does Northwest Avalanche Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for Northwest Avalanche Center.
What industry is Northwest Avalanche Center in?
Northwest Avalanche Center's product category is Avalanche Forecasting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAJAI, Mountain Safety & Patrol Services (Avalanche Training, Rescue, Medical). Its NAICS code is 713920 and its SIC code is 7997.