Abstract Manager

ABSTRACT – AUTOMATED AVALANCH DETECTION SYSTEM

Highway 37A in northwestern British Columbia is the only link between the District of Stewart and Highway 37 south to service centers on Highway 16. It is also home to Canada’s most northern ice-free port, with two facilities; the locally owned Stewart Bulk Terminal and the Stewart World Port. Stewart is also a border crossing to Hyder, Alaska. Each year the highway is closed for approximately 100 hours due to avalanche conditions and operates at a considerable avalanche hazard level for an average of 600-900 hours per winter. 

In 2019, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure piloted the Automated Avalanche Detection System to improve avalanche forecasts and road safety for Highway 37A. The comprehensive system consists of two autonomous detection stations with an avalanche radar (Little Bears site and George Copper site), a repeater station for data and alarm transmission and a receiver station in the coastal town of Stewart. The system provides real time monitoring and alert notifications (24/7 all weather conditions) for natural avalanche activity occurring through the Hwy 37A corridor.

This sophisticated system concept includes solar panels and fuel cells for autonomous energy supply as well as an anti-snow system for snow-free radar heads. When the radar detects avalanche activity, the system activates the integrated, high-resolution camera to automatically generate an event image series. The radar tracks the avalanche and measures its speed, duration and dimensions. All data is uploaded via the repeater station to the online data portal that is accessible at any time by authorized users via desktop, tablet or smartphone. The system automatically notifies a defined list of recipients via SMS or email of a detected event to ensure that avalanche forecasters are informed about every event in real-time. In the first winter season of 2019/20, the avalanche detection system detected more than 1200 avalanches, which allowed the Ministry reduce the avalancherelated closure times of Highway 37A by more than 50% (from 100 hours to only 39 hours).

This real time monitoring helps to improve reliability and accuracy of avalanche forecasting to increase highway user safety, allow for more informed decision-making by Ministry staff for avalancherelated events, and reduce highway closure hours.