Professional Snow and Avalanche Workshop (PROSAW)
The in-person session will be held at the Eccles Center Park City (1750 Kearns Blvd, Park City, UT 84060).
If you are attending virtually, the livestream link will be sent at the end of October. Livestream sign ups end October 31st.
Join us for the 18th Annual Professional Snow and Avalanche Workshop (PROSAW), where Utah’s avalanche community will team up with snow professionals from around the west to share avalanche knowledge. The goal of the PROSAW is to provide continuing education for avalanche workers across the country by sharing case studies and stories from different operations in different snow climates with information to help them in their day to day jobs. The workshop will follow the spirit of the International Snow Science Workshop of merging theory and practice. Presenters will include patrollers, backcountry guides and forecasters, highway forecasters, SAR personnel, snow scientists, researchers, and more. The format will be 15-minute presentations followed by Q&A.
PROSAW is an all-day, two-part workshop; everyone is invited to join for both sessions on November 1st. The morning is dedicated to Utah-specific presentations, while the afternoon addresses stories and lessons learned nationwide.
The schedule is below, it is subject to change. Underlined titles are liked to associated research.
PROSAW Agenda Nov. 1, 2025
Park City High School, Eccles Theater
Park City, Utah
MORNING SESSION
08:30-12:00
08:30-08:35: Welcome… to the Working Week- Craig Gordon
08:35-08:50 Winter Review
08:50-09:20: Weather Factors Contributing to the 2024-25 Winter Season and How La Nina Played a Role. Guesstimating Weather patterns for 2025-26 - Sam Webber, National Weather Service SLC
09:25-09:45 - Basic Explosives Safety - Maddie Welch, Snowbird Ski Patrol
09:50-10:10: RACS and Boom-Whoosh Operational Update - Nichole Dye, Powder Mountain Snow Safety
10:15-10:35: Measuring Blast Over Pressure: Exposure to Avalanche Workers - Allie Fredbro and Mandy Geisler- Park City Mountain Resort
10:35-10:55 BREAK
10:55-11:15 Repeater Paths - Mike Craig- Canyons Village Snow Safety
11:20-11:35 Wind Slab or Storm Slab - Nata De Leeuw
11:40-12:00 Lessons Learned From Analyzing The Accuracy Of Ski Resort Operational Forecasts - Wendy Antibus, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe
12:00-13:00 LUNCH
AFTERNOON SESSION
13:00-16:30
13:00-13:05 Welcome Back - Craig Gordon
13:05-13:15 Worker Involvement - Chris Bremmer, Snowbird Snow Safety
13:15-13:45 Lessons (Hopefully) Learned From An In-Bounds Catch And Carry - Mark Sauer, Park City Mountain Resort
13:50-14:10 ICAR Update - Margie VanKommen, Snowbird Ski Patrol/WBR
14:15-14:35- Complexities of Forecasting In a Rural Zone… The Pros And Cons/Challenges And Opportunities of Avalanche Forecasting on The Skyline - Brett Kobernik, Utah Avalanche Center
14:40-15:00 - Beer Hill Accident - SAR Lessons Learned - Doug Wewer and Brandon Everett, Weber County SAR
15:00-15:20 BREAK
15:25-15:55- Reflections On A 30-year Run - Pete Groves, Alta Avalanche Office
16:00-16:30- Mentoring and Institutional Knowledge, A Quarter Century With TAR And Beyond - Lynne Wolf
16:30 Closing remarks and high fives!
After-hours beverages and light fare at The Boneyard in Park City Sponsored by Arc’teryx