Flathead Avalanche Workshop Brings Wide Range of Experts to Whitefish
The 14th annual Northern Rockies Snow and Avalanche Workshop will be held at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center on Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including topics ranging from data science to near-miss avalanche incidents
By Maggie Dresser
Ahead of a La Niña winter forecast that’s expected to bring cold temperatures and deep snow to the Flathead Valley, avalanche professionals are gearing up for the 14th annual Northern Rockies Snow and Avalanche Workshop (NRSAW), a one-day event at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Nov. 9.
Presented by the Flathead Avalanche Center (FAC) and its nonprofit arm, Friends of the Flathead Avalanche Center (FOFAC), the workshop will feature a slate of five speakers including snow science researchers, a data engineer, a ski patroller and renowned avalanche dog handler, and local recreationists.
With a wide range of topics, NRSAW organizers are hoping to reach all winter backcountry users with presentations from both locals and avalanche experts from across the West.
“This year we really wanted to focus on talks that would have a lot of utility or application for a wide range of riders,” FAC Director Blase Reardon said. “We wanted our speakers to provide not just their slice of the avalanche pie – but to provide some context.”
Forecasters are eager to connect with the motorized demographic of backcountry users with the “Throttle Decisions” presentation by local snowmobiler Kaleb Retz. As an avalanche instructor, guide and American Avalanche Association pro member, the veteran snowmobiler will share his experience about a near-miss incident that he and his partners were involved in last March in the Whitefish Range. Diving into the conditions and group dynamics that lead to the avalanche, he will illustrate the event with images and video that was captured along with the aftermath.
Local machine learning engineer Christine Donnelly will present her research on the consistency of FAC forecasts from randomly assigned days during the 2023 and 2024 winters. She will explain her data, which reveals consistent results for low and moderate forecasted days compared to lower consistency for considerable and high-rated days.
“Her expertise is in data science and we’re working to understand how consistent our forecasts are,” Reardon said.
Montana State University student and Northwest Avalanche Center forecaster Josh Lipkowitz will present his research on wet slab avalanches and the complex interactions between percolating liquid water and specific snowpack structures.
Other presenters include Oregon State University professor David Hill, who will discuss snowpack response to climate change, and longtime Colorado ski patroller, search and rescue coordinator and avalanche dog handler John Reller.
Additionally, four of the five presenters and Whitefish psychologist Sara Boilen will participate in a “Pearls of Wisdom” panel, which will focus on things they wish they knew and the knowledge they are grateful to have. The panel will be interactive and open to audience questions.
“We’re really trying to make sure it’s useful to a lot of people and making sure the speakers provide context – as well as their slice of the avalanche pie,” Reardon said.
NRSAW will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center with a raffle closing out the event. Great Northern Bar will host an afterparty. For tickets, visit www.flatheadavalanche.org/education/nrsaw/.
Forecasters will begin issuing daily forecasts Dec. 3. Conditions updates will be issued Tuesdays and Fridays starting Nov. 3.