The UAC was officially established in 1980 in collaboration with the US Forest Service (USFS). The nonprofit Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center was formed in 1990 to help bridge the gap between the available funding and actual expenses of operating an avalanche center alongside growing user demand and increasing need for education and awareness. This development protected the UAC from year-to-year fluctuations in USFS funding. Today, the nonprofit UAC is responsible for the majority of avalanche awareness and education in Utah, as well as funding and strategic management of the partnership with the USFS. Over three-fourths of the total program funding is raised through the nonprofit, with the remainder coming from federal, state, and county sources.

The UAC has offices in Moab, Logan, Salt Lake City, and Spring City, working primarily in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache and Manti-La Sal National Forests. We have 18 employees with over 300 years of combined experience who are committed to saving lives through avalanche forecasting, education, and awareness. The UAC’s expert staff have become well-respected leaders in this field working alongside avalanche experts from around the U.S. and and the world to develop the most effective approaches to saving lives through making avalanche forecasting, education, and awareness readily available to backcountry travelers throughout the State of Utah.