Northwest Avalanche Center

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

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

• Avalanche forecasting
• Mountain weather data
• Snowpack analysis
• Avalanche safety education
• Backcountry travel safety

Headquarters

HQ city

North Bend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. USFS Forecasting Program Funding: The NWAC Forecasting Program is administered by USFS Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest with cooperative agreement funding from federal agencies.
4. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Accepts stock donations, bequests, life insurance policies, qualified retirement plan/IRA designations, and charitable lead trusts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor, primary and secondary.

• US Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1978NWAC 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary 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 ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner 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 CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funding partner including Snowmobile and Snowpark Programs. Supports NWAC operations and weather station network.
• Pacific Northwest Ski Areas AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting NWAC forecasting program. Ski area operations contribute weather station data and maintain stations within their resorts.
• National Avalanche Center (NAC)coreTechnology or IntegrationNAC 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 FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner supporting NWAC forecasting program operations.
• Sawtooth Avalanche Center (SAC)coreTechnology or IntegrationSignificant 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)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartner in AvyWeb joint initiative. Launched on V1 of the multi-tenant website platform alongside Sawtooth Avalanche Center.
• Backcountry AccessprimaryGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor supporting NWAC field staff with high quality gear and equipment. Provides raffle prizes for events like NSAW.
• Enumclaw PowersportsprimaryGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor providing gear support for NWAC field staff. Equipment helps forecasters access remote terrain for observations.
• Outdoor ResearchprimaryGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor supporting field staff with gear and equipment. Provides raffle prizes for community events.
• Black Diamond EquipmentsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary sponsor providing gear donations for NWAC operations and community events.
• Gear AidsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary sponsor supporting NWAC through gear donations and event sponsorship.
• ONX MapssecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary sponsor supporting NWAC through corporate sponsorship.
• American Avalanche Association (A3)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNWAC staff participate in A3 professional development. A3 offers Resilience Project for grief support. A3 course catalog built into AvyWeb platform.
• American Alpine ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner 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

Direct 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

• Xtwitter.com/nwacus
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXKN3Cu9rnnkukkiUUgjzFQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/NWACUS
• Instagraminstagram.com/nwacus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nw-avalanche-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Northwest Avalanche Center