Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies

Swamp Angel Study Site
Swamp Angel Study Plot (subalpine)

Senator Beck Study Site
Senator Beck Study Plot (alpine)

Putney Study Site
Putney Study Plot (summit)

Senator Beck Basin Stream Gauge
Basin Stream Gauge

St Paul Basestation
St. Paul RF Base Station

The Center for Snow & Avalanche Studies serves the mountain science community and regional resource managers by hosting & conducting interdisciplinary research and conducting integrative 24/7/365 monitoring that captures weather, snowpack, radiation, soils, plant community and hydrologic signals of regional climate trends.

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Snow School for Water Managers
March 1st-3rd, 2017
Silverton, CO

A 2 1/2 Day Professional Development Opportunity for Water Professionals


From left to right: Matt Hardesty: Colorado Division of Water Resources, Sarah Baker: Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Region, William Banks: USGS, Southeast Colorado Office, Jesse Jaminet: Colorado Division of Water Resources, Laurna Kaatz: Denver Water, Planning Division

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 at CSAS's Silverton office, for classroom sessions, and at CSAS's Senator Beck Basin Study Area and nearby Snotel and snow course sites on Red Mountain Pass for field sessions.

Fee: $500 (class size will be limited to 10 participants so register early)

Schedule: workshop will begin at 9 AM, Wednesday, March 1st, at the CSAS office at 1428 Greene Street, Silverton. The Friday, March 3rd session will be a half 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. Several restaurants will be open in Silverton during the workshop.

Registration and Questions: Contact Jeff Derry at the Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies at jderry@snowstudies.org or by phone at 970.387.5080. Please view the Flyer for more information.