A Canadian company is utilizing drones for avalanche control instead of traditional methods like artillery weapons or helicopter explosives. Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions Inc. (AVSS) was granted permission by the federal government last year to test their SnowDart system for avalanche management. This winter, AVSS conducted tests in Jasper National Park, where a drone carries an explosive up a mountainside, dropping it before remote detonation.
Josh Ogden, AVSS co-founder, mentioned that drones provide an additional tool for avalanche control, supplementing conventional approaches like using 105 mm howitzer guns that create shockwaves triggering avalanches. Parks Canada employs helicopters and remote trigger stations for controlled avalanches but sees drones as advantageous for inaccessible areas without trigger stations and as a cost-effective alternative to helicopters.
The winter season in Western Canada has witnessed heightened avalanche control activities due to significant snowfall. In Glacier National Park, Parks Canada oversees avalanche threats along a 43-kilometer stretch of Highway 1. This winter, the highway faced longer closures for avalanche control, attributed to record snowfall in December and weather patterns in March.
Industries are increasingly exploring drone technology for various applications, including avalanche risk management. While drones offer potential benefits, Parks Canada’s Deryl Kelly emphasized that they cannot replace existing avalanche control tools due to weather dependency. AVSS plans to continue testing the SnowDart system next winter, with potential adoption in other Canadian mountainous regions.
Brian Rode, vice-president of Marmot Basin ski resort, expressed optimism about the use of drones for avalanche control. The ski resort intends to monitor technological advancements before considering implementation, continuing to rely on traditional explosive charges for avalanche mitigation in the meantime.