• The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) has hired forecaster Tom Mattice for an urban avalanche program this winter. This position is to be assisted by Eaglecrest Pro Patrollers.
• Tom and the CBJ are working with the Center to collaborate on providing avalanche programs for the area. We are still exploring options that may include having the Center host the urban forecast on a new version of this website.
• Our Board of Directors had decided to partially mothball the SAAC operation, continuing to provide educational materials on the web, and acting in a "Friends of" capacity to assist and support the CBJ effort. Given the CBJ interest, the Center may move into a more active role this winter.
• We have also met our goal of establishing ongoing educational programs in the region. Former staffers Bill Glude, Mike Janes, and Kent Scheler continue to teach courses through the University of Alaska Southeast, through Alaska Avalanche Specialists, and through Alaska Heliskiing and other course organizers. The course schedule on the education page has been updated for this season.
• Bill Glude will overhaul and update this website in November-December as his final project for the Center. He has moved on to focus on teaching and consulting work. You can reach him through Alaska Avalanche Specialists, 907-523-8900.

The Southeast Alaska Avalanche Center is an educational nonprofit corporation. As part of the network of avalanche centers in the US, it is our intent to serve as the snow avalanche education and information source for Southeast Alaska, from Ketchikan to Yakutat.

Our programs have always been strong in research and snow science, and in the areas of urban, highway, industrial, snowmobile, snowboard, ski, high-latitude maritime, big mountain, and heliski avalanche issues.

This information on this website is one of the key educational resources we provide. Be sure to check our Course Handouts & Avalanche Resources page for a wealth of detailed Level 1 and 2 course handouts, maps, presentations, and a whole section of urban, backcoutry, and general avalanche information. So far as we know, we are the only people teaching avalanche courses who have put so much of our course material on the web.

Information on our AK Block research project is under the Research link.

The Weather and Avalanche Links page connects to the best of the web for avalanche sites and Southeast Alaska weather forecasting.

The News page has updates on current Center and related topics, the Education page connects you to schedules and fully detailed information on avalanche courses in our area, and the Juneau Urban Avalanche Information page has maps and discussion of the local issues.

We will not be issuing advisories this winter, but we still conduct a wide variety of courses from community presentations to professional and industrial training, maintain this website, continue our research projects, train our crew, and provide avalanche information and expertise for the news media, the community, government, and emergency responses.

Alaska has the highest total and per capita avalanche deaths of all the states and urban Juneau has the largest potential avalanche disaster in North America, yet despite a state statute mandating that the Department of Public Safety run a statewide government-funded avalanche program we are the only avalanche state that does not have one. As a tiny nonprofit, we cannot fund our local program or statewide system without the support of concerned citizens. You can learn more about us and find out how to help us serve you better through the How You Can Help link. You can also join as a member or make donations to help our efforts.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY: The Southeast Alaska Avalanche Center admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the Center. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, disability, user group, veteran status, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships, and other Center administered programs.