Avalanche Problem Toolbox

The Bridgeport Winter Recreation Area (BWRA) on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest's Bridgeport Ranger District will officially closed for the season on Monday, April 19. This closure will remain in effect until the 2021-2022 winter season when the snow depth exceeds the minimum requirement of 24 inches, and a Forest Order is signed and posted as open for snowmobile use.

The Forest closure of the Bridgeport Winter Recreation Area to motorized travel occurs every year at the end of April regardless of snow cover. The intent of this action is to reduce user conflicts as snow melts and the California State Route 108 corridor nears opening. This year, the area is closing one week earlier due to current snow depth not meeting the 24-inch requirement.

Snowmobiling is currently still permitted on the north side of State Route 108 in non-wilderness areas of the Forest. United States Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center and Forest Service personnel may be present in the Bridgeport Winter Recreation Area for administrative use and law enforcement patrols.

For additional information on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, please visit www.fs.usda.gov/htnf or participate in the conversation at https://twitter.com/HumboldtToiyabe and https://www.facebook.com/HumboldtToiyabeNF/.

AVALANCHE PROBLEM TOOLBOX

Concept Fall 2013 by Drew Hardesty, UAC and Wendy Wagner, CNFAC and presented at 2014 ISSW (International Snow Science Workshop) with Abstract below. Full paper can be found here -

ABSTRACT: The following paper presents a new public forecasting tool designed to communicate travel
advice specific to each of the established Avalanche Problems. Avalanche Problems have become a
mainstay, not only for forecast centers but also for avalanche education throughout North America.
Among professionals, it is widely agreed that the type of avalanche conditions determines one’s choice of
terrain. Many of our users are only beginning to understand this concept. Therefore, we seek to expand
the current descriptions by adding terrain management advice specific to each of the nine Problems. In
order to accomplish this, a set of five metrics was established to determine each Problem’s inherent
manageability. Compiled into a short paragraph, the advice will be displayed in a pop-up window along
with additional information including a photo, video, graphics and associated definition. The pop-up
window will be accessed from the daily avalanche advisory webpage through a subscript ‘i’ hyperlink
located near the icon(s) for the day’s Problem(s). This paper concludes with a discussion of the many
challenges encountered.