Colorado Avalanche Information Center Celebrates 50 years of Avalanche Safety, Research, and Education

Former CAIC Director Knox Williams started as the Lead Forecaster for the Colorado Avalanche Warning Program in 1975.

BOULDER - This year marks 50 years of operations for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC). CAIC is a program within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) with a mission of providing avalanche information, education, and promoting research for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the state’s economy.

CAIC got its start as the Colorado Avalanche Warning Program (CAWP) in 1973 as part of the Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station. CAWP was the first avalanche program in the U.S. that issued public avalanche forecasts.

“Information and education about avalanche safety saves lives. I am thrilled to celebrate the 50 years of Colorado Avalanche Information Center operations and thank the center for keeping Coloradans, and recreational visitors, safe and informed while exploring and playing in Colorado’s iconic great outdoors,” said Governor Polis.

Under Governor Polis the state has invested significant resources in the CAIC and Avalanche safety. Through SB 21-219 (opens in a new tab) sponsored by Senator Bob Rankin and Rep. Julie McCliskie, signed by Governor Polis on April 30, 2021, the state invested $750,000 in the operations of CAIC ensuring these critical services are readily available to Colordans. On June 21, 2021 Governor Polis invested Keep Colorado Wild Pass revenue in search and rescue teams and Avalanche safety programs by signing SB21-249 (opens in a new tab) sponsored by Senators Stephen Fenberg and Kerry Donovan and Representatives Perry Will and Kerry Tipper.

“Much has changed over the last 50 years, including how we forecast conditions, our understanding of avalanches, and the technologies we use to share information,” CAIC Director Ethan Greene said. “But what hasn’t changed is our commitment to sharing information and educating people about avalanches to help keep people safe.”

Greene has been the director since 2005 when he took over for the previous long-time director, Knox Williams. Knox has described CAIC’s evolution and growth with “a tiny upstart program in 1973 to the largest and perhaps most successful avalanche safety program in the United States today.”

“The work CAIC does is critical for the state of Colorado. As someone who recreates in the mountains, I have always relied on CAIC as a life-saving source of information,” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “CAIC’s history shows the organization’s ability to adapt to meet changing needs, and I have no doubt that CAIC will continue to be a leader in avalanche safety, research, and education over the next five decades.”

CAIC has been housed within different agencies and programs since its inception, starting as part of the Forest Service and then moving to the DNR — living both under the Colorado Geological Survey under DNR and the Executive Director’s Office, where it has resided since 2013. CAIC is the only avalanche center in the country that resides within state government — instead of under the Forest Service in the federal government or as a non-profit. The CAIC does, however, rely on its public-private partnership with the Friends of CAIC, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that formed in 2007 to promote avalanche safety in Colorado and support the recreation program of the CAIC.

CAIC will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary throughout the upcoming season this winter, spotlighting its history and the progress that has been made in avalanche awareness and safety over the years. The celebration will begin at this year’s Colorado Snow and Avalanche Workshop (opens in a new tab) on October 27 in Breckenridge. All former CAIC staff have been invited to attend the special event. Learn more about CAIC’s history on its 50th Anniversary webpage.

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Dec 14, 2023 - Colorado Avalanche Information Center and Colorado Mountain College Launch Accident Explorer](#)

LEADVILLE - The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) and Colorado Mountain College (CMC) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program partnered to develop the Avalanche Accident Explorer — an interactive map that displays information about Colorado’s fatal accidents since December 2009.

“Safely exploring Colorado’s iconic great outdoors is part of who we are. The new Avalanche Accident Explorer makes avalanche information more accessible to help Coloradans and visitors explore more safely,” said Governor Polis. “This collaboration between CAIC and CMC students is a great example of real-world learning opportunities for students that will protect Coloradans and our millions of visitors.”

Dara Seidl, CMC Leadville’s associate professor of geographic information systems, and CMC students Lucy Kepner and Joe Tayabji created the data visualization tool to help people more easily explore fatal involvements with avalanches.

“Partnering with CAIC on the Avalanche Accident Explorer has been a tremendous opportunity for CMC GIS students to engage in meaningful spatial visualization work for the benefit of our Colorado community,” said Seidl. “Our collaboration enabled our GIS students to further hone programming skills and build a custom web map application from the ground up.”

Accidents are shown on a map with various layers and filters that can be selected. Users can filter accidents by travel mode, aspect, elevation, and avalanche type to explore where fatal accidents are taking place.

“We are so grateful for this partnership with Dara and her students,” said Ethan Greene, CAIC Director. “This interactive tool allows us to share important information about avalanche accidents in an intuitive, interactive platform. We know that people learn better when they can explore information. Together, we have created a public safety tool that allows people to see avalanche accident data on a map so that they can learn how to avoid this natural hazard.”

The Avalanche Accident Explorer is accessible from the CAIC website at www.colorado.gov/avalanche (opens in a new tab) under the Accidents menu. For more information about the data, go to CAIC Statistics & Reporting. To see the avalanche forecast for your area or to learn more about avalanche safety, go to www.colorado.gov/avalanche (opens in a new tab). CAIC always urges backcountry travelers to check the forecast, get some training, and be prepared with the proper knowledge and equipment.