Avalanche Hazard and Weather Forecasting for Backcountry Recreationists
A free presentation designed to improve your avalanche hazard and weather forecasting skills!
Sponsored by Missoulaavalanche, the West Central Montana Avalanche Center and the Trailhead
Speakers: Lucas Zukiewicz – Snow Hydrologist and Montana Snow Survey Program Manager
with the Natural Resources Conservation Service
Lee Ann Allegretto – Meteorologist and Avalanche Program Manager with the
National Weather Service in Missoula
With 90 measurement locations, the SNOwpack TELemetry (SNOTEL) system in Montana is a valuable asset for the winter backcountry enthusiast. How do you find and make sense of the information? Lucas Zukiewicz from the USDA-NRCS Montana Snow Survey will give a presentation on how to gather and interpret snowpack and weather information for conditions assessment and trip planning during winter months. The focus will be on how to find and interpret snowpack data via the SNOTEL system for winter users, but recreational users of all kinds can benefit from the information presented.
The National Weather Service in Missoula has a new, improved backcountry forecast program which provides more up-to-date data across western Montana. LeeAnn will discuss means of using weather data for planning winter backcountry trips. She will offer unique ways of getting weather information; some of which are not always obvious. She will also discuss weather patterns that typically generate the best snowfall for our region, and answer any questions regarding the current winter season and how forecasts are generated.
Wednesday, January 21 – 6-8pm at the Trailhead 221 East Front Street Missoula, MT
