Avalanche Canada’s mission is quite simple: to minimize public risk in Canada’s avalanche terrain. But whether it’s raising avalanche awareness, offering services, or providing materials based on accurate research and evidence, achieving that mission is much less simple.

Early in 2015, Avalanche Canada decided that an interactive mapping interface would be their next project for getting users and forecasters to improve avalanche safety and to base their decisions on more timely and reliable observations.

Designed in a 3 month implementation timeline, the end-product was fully-integrated for web-based applications and user-friendly on mobile devices. Using Amazon Web Services, Mapbox and Prismic, Tesera built the application framework that would serve as the blueprint for the Avalanche Canada web map. The Avalanche Map maintains high technological standards while remaining scalable on a high level: today, the interface gives thousands of users access to an intuitive, interactive, highly-accurate map with a range of critical, real-time data on avalanche activity in British Columbia and Alberta.

Offering better, more accurate, and more accessible information to users and forecasters, the interface makes it easier than ever for Canadians to avoid the potentially devastating impact of avalanches. Integrated with APIs that provide live avalanche forecasts, the interface also offers access to the Mountain Information Network, giving users the option to share real-time updates on conditions, images, weather, snowpack and avalanche data.