The other day we got to witness an avalanche. We were having lunch at our favorite truck stop when I looked up and saw a mushroom shaped cloud about midway down the Kicking Horse Mountain. At first I thought it was just a low cloud, but it seemed too thick to be that. We watched as it seem to be suspended in the air for a long time (was probably only a few minutes) and then finally dissipate. It was interesting to see. From our perspective, it looked small, but I'm sure it was larger than we realized.
We didn't read anything about it, so it may have been a controlled avalanche and it didn't hurt anyone. It was very near the ski hill. Very cool to watch.

I suspect you'll be seeing a lot of those over the next few months. Get your camera ready!

If you do decide to photograph an avalanche, don't wait for the sound to take your shot. Pick a point where avalanches are happening regularly and keep your camera ready to shoot. You see it happen before you hear it.

And don't stand under it hoping to get a close-up. It's bad for the camera.

. . . among other things . . .

Listen to the news. They used to announce when and where they were firing the avalanche control cannons to set off controlled avalanches.