Snow School in 2024

Snow School for Water Professionals, February 21 – 23, 2024, Silverton, CO.  If interested please notify Jeff Derry at jderry@snowstudies.org
A 2½ Day Professional Development Opportunity for Water Professionals

Snow School for Water Professionals is attended by people from organizations such as Bureau of Reclamation, CWCB, Denver Water, Desert Research Institute, and various Water Districts.

Using a mixture of classroom discussion and hands-on field sessions, this workshop will enhance participant understanding of snowpack processes, snowpack monitoring, and snowpack data, by:

  • Reviewing Colorado’s snow climatology, snowpack formation, and snowmelt processes
  • Discussing recent snow and climate literature
  • Visiting snow and weather monitoring systems, discussing site biases
  • Discussing snowpack, weather, and climate data sources, and their application

The workshop will be conducted by Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies director Jeff Derry. The classroom sessions will be held at CSAS’s Silverton office. The field sessions will be held at CSAS’s Senator Beck Basin Study Area and nearby Snotel and snow course sites on Red Mountain Pass.

Fee: $600 (class size will be limited to 10 participants – register early).  Paying with credit card? Follow this link to pay online: https://snowstudies.org/product/snow-school-for-water-managers/

Registration, Questions: Contact Jeff Derry, CSAS, PO Box 190, Silverton, CO 81433 (970) 231-6595

Schedule: The workshop will begin at 9 AM, Wednesday, February 21, at the CSAS office at 1428 Greene Street, Silverton. The Friday, February 23 session will be ½ day, ending at noon.

Gear:  Field sessions will entail over-snow travel at 11,000’ on snowshoes or skis (must have climbing skins) over short distances (up to 20 minutes) and some small hills.  CSAS will provide the technical snow science equipment but participants should bring suitable over-snow equipment and a selection of warm clothing, especially footwear.   No avalanche safety equipment required.

Lodging & Meals: Participants are encouraged to secure lodging in Silverton well in advance of the class. Please see below for a list of lodging options in the Silverton area. Several restaurants will be open in Silverton during the workshop. Questions? Contact Jeff Derry at the Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies at jderry@snowstudies.org

Silverton Lodging Links:

MSU Field CampCSAS is committed to continuing our tradition of hosting and instructing college and university field camps, technical workshops, and providing K-12 snow science resources. A few of our recent field education & workshops are listed below: