TL;DR: The Northwest Avalanche Center's Avy team stabilized a shared AvyWeb platform and an AvyApp used by 15 avalanche centers to deliver more consistent avalanche and mountain weather forecasts across the United States.
The Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) is leading a national project to change how avalanche and mountain weather forecasts are delivered across the United States, according to the report titled Northwest Avalanche Center Spearheads National Initiative to Modernize Avalanche Forecasting and Mountain Information Access.
That June 28, 2026 report describes a collaborative project involving multiple avalanche centers nationwide, run through NWAC's dedicated technology team known as Avy.
The stated objective is to develop and implement shared digital tools that improve accessibility, consistency, and effectiveness of critical safety information for outdoor enthusiasts.
Two user-facing tools: AvyWeb and AvyApp
The Avy project has two core components, AvyWeb and AvyApp.
AvyWeb is a web-based platform designed for broad accessibility.
AvyApp is a mobile application for on-the-go access to vital backcountry data.
Both platforms have been launched and stabilized and are now operational, according to the same June 28, 2026 report.
The development team described a deliberate and cautious approach to further feature development, with priority given to investments offering the greatest value and impact for users.
The project is presented as a substantial move away from historically fragmented and often outdated technological infrastructure maintained separately by individual avalanche centers.
Why NWAC took the national role
NWAC describes expanded access to backcountry forecasts and educational resources as central to its mission.
The intended audience ranges from seasoned professionals to recreational users entering the mountains for the first time.
NWAC is described as one of the largest and most technologically resourced avalanche centers in the United States.
That scale allowed NWAC to build on an existing collaborative forecasting infrastructure and extend shared work toward user-facing forecast tools.
The resulting vision is a unified digital ecosystem for avalanche information rather than separate center-by-center websites and apps.
Leadership for that product work is detailed in the report titled Rusty Rustigian's Return to NWAC Marks New Era of Technological Advancement and Collaborative Safety.
That June 23, 2026 report states that Rusty Rustigian returned to NWAC as Product Manager.
His role encompasses management of the mobile application Avy and development of the collaborative website initiative intended to unite avalanche centers.
The backbone: Avalanche Forecast Platform
A crucial foundation for the national collaboration is the Avalanche Forecast Platform, known as the AFP.
The AFP was developed and maintained collaboratively and serves as the backbone for nearly all U.S. avalanche centers.
Forecasters use the AFP to publish forecasts, manage observations, and streamline other essential operational tasks.
Widespread adoption of the AFP demonstrated the value of inter-center cooperation and created groundwork for broader shared technology.
NWAC identified an opportunity to leverage that existing AFP infrastructure for public-facing tools.
That decision led directly to the creation of Avy as an extension from forecaster operations to public forecast delivery.
Collaboration over duplication
The core philosophy guiding Avy is described as collaboration over duplication.
Historically, each avalanche center was responsible for rebuilding its website and forecasting tools every five to seven years.
That rebuild cycle demanded significant technical expertise and financial investment.
Those demands were often beyond the limited budgets of smaller centers.
Pooling resources, expertise, and data allows smaller avalanche centers to obtain technology that would otherwise be unattainable.
NWAC, in turn, receives diverse feedback and shared investment from its partners.
The Avy team manages technological development and maintenance centrally.
That central management allows avalanche center staff to concentrate on forecasting, field observations, and public education.
The unified system also allows adoption of technology best practices and design insights across centers.
Continuous improvement of user experience is presented as a direct result of that shared design process.
Consistency across forecasting products is identified as a major benefit for backcountry users.
Consistent products simplify accessing and interpreting safety information regardless of geographic location.
Rustigian summarized the shift as shared infrastructure rather than independent construction, according to the June 23, 2026 product-manager profile.
"Basically, we're building a condo complex for avalanche centers rather than building and maintaining our own single-family homes," Rustigian explains.
The profile says his day-to-day work involves extensive coordination with stakeholders and design and build teams.
Feature prioritization is central to that work, with decisions intended to deliver maximum impact within financial limitations.
Current adoption: 15 centers on AvyApp
AvyApp is currently stable and actively used by 15 avalanche centers.
The focus for AvyApp is now on prioritizing and implementing new user-requested features.
That shift reflects growing adoption and utility of the mobile platform.
The Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center's public update confirms the same mobile transition for backcountry users, stating that BTAC is now on a new mobile app called Avy: Avalanche & Weather Info.
That center states that users can find information similar to its website, including avalanche forecasts, through the app.
On the web side, the Sierra Avalanche Center and the Sawtooth Avalanche Center have successfully launched on Version 1 of AvyWeb.
A dedicated course catalog for the American Avalanche Association has also been developed.
That course catalog is designed to be embedded across various websites.
Plans are in motion for nationwide integration of the catalog into avalanche center websites.
The development team is currently engaged in polishing, general development, and implementation of smaller features.
The upcoming holiday season was designated for maintenance and bug fixing, with a temporary pause on new feature development before resuming accelerated development in the new year.
The people behind the platform shift
Rustigian's history with NWAC began in 2010, when he started as a volunteer while facing a challenging job market in Seattle.
His contributions led to creation of a staff position for him.
After five years at NWAC, he moved to Bozeman, Montana, where he gained experience in nonprofit and technology sectors.
Nine years later, involvement in a crucial website initiative brought him back to NWAC.
One contribution he cites with pride is the NWAC rebrand around 2011.
That rebrand was followed by outreach initiatives that attracted greater public involvement.
His second cited contribution is the current momentum behind the Avy app and national collaborative website.
The profile says that work depends on collective vision and willingness to share resources and knowledge.
"I think it's the vision and collaboration that particularly lights me up," Rustigian states.
He also describes future potential to streamline forecasting products and reduce redundant content between avalanche centers.
What consistent forecasts mean for winter backcountry travel
For Survival Backpack readers, the practical significance is simpler access to avalanche forecasts, observations, and education.
A traveler moving between forecast zones can consult familiar forecast layouts and terminology rather than learning a new website in each region.
Mobile access supports on-the-go checks of vital data before and during backcountry travel.
Central maintenance means forecasters and educators spend less time maintaining websites and more time forecasting, observing the field, and teaching.
The June 23, 2026 profile connects that technology work directly to mountain decision-making.
Rustigian identifies the Snoqualmie Pass zone as a place of particular fondness within NWAC's operational areas, citing its hidden gems.
He relays avalanche-risk guidance learned from NWAC figure Scott Schell more than a decade ago.
"Persistent Weak Layers are truly so unpredictable," Rustigian relays, quoting Schell, "and as uncertainty increases, your terrain choice should become equally conservative."
That principle emphasizes conservative terrain selection when uncertainty rises.
The profile also recounts a memorable February period when Rustigian hosted visitors and shared favored locations during world-class conditions.
It presents memorable backcountry days as being shaped by people, place, and community as well as skiing and riding.
For prepared adventurers, the message is that better forecast infrastructure supports, but does not replace, conservative terrain choices and avalanche education.
Users should still obtain a forecast, check observations, carry rescue equipment, and seek formal training through providers listed in resources such as the American Avalanche Association course catalog.
The Northwest Avalanche Center Spearheads National Initiative to Modernize Avalanche Forecasting and Mountain Information Access report frames the next phase as continued polishing, user-requested mobile improvements, broader AvyWeb adoption, and wider embedding of the course catalog.
The Rusty Rustigian's Return to NWAC Marks New Era of Technological Advancement and Collaborative Safety profile frames the longer-term goal as a cohesive and accessible information ecosystem for backcountry enthusiasts and forecasters alike.