SEATTLE – As winter storms pound mountain passes in the Pacific Northwest, the risk of avalanches in the Cascades has risen sharply, and meteorologists at the Northwest Avalanche Center have upgraded the warning to “high.”

Areas like Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Pass are particularly at risk and will see a combination of snow and wind.

Each winter, a small team of 11 scientists at NWAC are responsible for predicting avalanche danger in these regions, including the Cascades, the Olympics and Mount Hood. But just weeks before this year’s snowfall began, there were serious concerns that this team would be reduced to just three meteorologists.

“How can we provide the public with the services that are essential to public safety with a really small skeleton crew?,” said NWAC Executive Director Scott Shell.

The NWAC team plays a critical role in public safety, helping not only recreational skiers and backcountry adventurers, but also agencies such as the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) in deciding when to close highways due to avalanche risk. Despite the growing responsibility, Schell argues that NWAC is chronically underfunded.

“Our avalanche center is not a fully funded program,” Schell said. “It operates on a shoestring budget and is an important public safety program for tens of millions of people across the West.”

As part of the US Forest Service, the NWAC relies on federal funding.

While the center employs three full-time meteorologists year-round, eight additional seasonal workers are hired each winter to handle the increased workload. But those positions suddenly came into jeopardy when the head of the Forest Service announced a hiring freeze this fall.

“Well, frankly, as things stand, it’s more expensive to do our job,” said Forest Service Manager Randy Moore. “Not only do we have a higher cost of living, but also the increased cost of doing business, and all of that is putting a strain on the budget at a time when it is being cut.”

In the United States, the Forest Service operates 14 avalanche centers, including NWAC. But their resources are spread thin, with only $2.5 million in federal funding to be divided between these centers.

“I don’t think the public understands how underfunded these programs really are,” Shell said.

It’s not just avalanche forecasting that faces challenges due to reduced funding. The Washington Trails Association (WTA), a key partner of the Forest Service for over 30 years, is also feeling the impact. WTA was originally formed by the Forest Service as a volunteer organization to help create trails, clear brush and maintain facilities such as pit toilets. Jen Gradisher says critical trail maintenance will suffer as the Forest Service cuts staff.

“We anticipate that the Forest Service’s capacity and resources will be reduced and transferred to partners like us,” Gradisher said. She noted that hikers will likely encounter messier trails, more debris and possibly closed restrooms, especially on less traveled routes.

Gradisher argues that Washington has more than 9,000 miles of trails, and those trails will face even greater challenges as Forest Service staff cuts.

“If staff reductions become a reality, these 9,000 miles of trail will realistically look different,” Gradisher said.

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