Abstract

Understanding how recreationists use avalanche forecasts is critical to ensure their effectiveness. While previous research has largely relied on self-reported surveys, behavioral telemetry provides a unique, empirical window into how users actually consume these products in the real world. Using two full winter seasons of behavioural telemetry from Avalanche Canada’s website and mobile application, comprising millions of forecast views, sections reached, and dwelling durations, we examined how engagement varies across different avalanche conditions and whether actual use aligns with the intended communication goals and design of the forecast.

We found that viewership progressively drops off with deeper sections of the forecast, with roughly a third of views reaching the end of the page. As danger rises, the share of views that reach deeper sections falls. Overall forecast dwell times suggest a mix of reading, scanning, and likely skipping sections entirely. Greater forecast use is associated with reaching deeper sections but shorter dwell times. While these patterns suggest efficient and committed information seeking, we caution that rapid scanning could leave users vulnerable to missing critical details in the forecast. To address this, we outline design interventions that balance efficient information retrieval with the need to intentionally prompt deliberate reflection, highlighting key avenues for future research.

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