American Avalanche Institute

Directions Website Contact the business

American Avalanche Institute AAI is the oldest avalanche education school in the country - founded by Rod Newcomb in 1973. www.americanavalancheinstitute.com

The American Avalanche Institute teaches avalanche courses to professionals and recreationists throughout the United States. AAI teaches Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 avalanche courses, as well as Winter Weather Forecasting courses, and custom courses to a variety of audiences.

CSAW 2026 in the books! We loved being part of this year’s Colorado Snow and Avalanche Workshop in Breckenridge. Rachel ...
10/19/2026

CSAW 2026 in the books!

We loved being part of this year’s Colorado Snow and Avalanche Workshop in Breckenridge. Rachel and Kelli were at the AAI booth and had a great time catching up with former students and meeting new faces!

With a full day of presentations, research, and conversations across the snow and avalanche community, it was a great way to kick off the season. And with the mountains dusted in fresh snow from one of the first storms up high, it’s starting to feel like winter is just around the corner.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hi. We’re looking forward to a great season ahead!

CSAW is just a couple days away! We’ll be there and would love to see you.AAI team member Drew Gibson will be presenting...
10/14/2026

CSAW is just a couple days away! We’ll be there and would love to see you.

AAI team member Drew Gibson will be presenting a case study on the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in avalanche search and rescue alongside Austin Finnell of Summit County Rescue Group at 9:25.

Our team will also be at the booth, so stop by to say hello! Whether you’re a past student, current student, or industry partner, we’d love to connect.

Looking forward to celebrating CAIC’s 25th anniversary and connecting with the avalanche community!

The only Pro 1 course on the East Coast is back this February!Mt. Washington is known for some of the wildest weather on...
10/12/2026

The only Pro 1 course on the East Coast is back this February!

Mt. Washington is known for some of the wildest weather on the continent, making the White Mountains a unique place to study how terrain, snowpack, and weather come together to create complex avalanche conditions.

Join us this winter for our Pro 1 course in partnership with East Coast Avalanche Education and learn in one of the most dynamic mountain environments in the East.

10/09/2026

We caught up with Gabrielle Antonioli, new Director of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center and AAI instructor, at ISSW 2026 in Whistler!

Gabrielle shares her thoughts on the conference, the importance of communicating forecast uncertainty, and how research and technology are helping avalanche centers create more useful, accessible forecast products for backcountry users.

As forecasting tools continue to evolve, collaboration between snow professionals and tech scientists will be key to helping people make more informed decisions in the mountains.

Thanks, Gabrielle, for talking with us!

The final day of the ISSW maintained the momentum of the week and carried it into some great presentations on large aval...
10/05/2026

The final day of the ISSW maintained the momentum of the week and carried it into some great presentations on large avalanches from around the globe, decision making in operations, and how story telling and sharing incidents makes the community stronger.

In the afternoon there was a first-of-its-kind panel discussion about big line riding for skiers, snowboarders, and sledders. The discussion examined perspectives from professional athletes and how they assess risk and manage consequences.

The closing ceremonies officially passed the torch from Whistler to Snowbird, where the 2028 ISSW will be held.

Thank you for following our journey this week. We hope to see you in a course this season where we get to take the latest theory and merge it into practice.

The hits keep coming as we rolled through day 4. The morning highlighted advanced modeling and remote sensing that suppo...
10/02/2026

The hits keep coming as we rolled through day 4. The morning highlighted advanced modeling and remote sensing that supports avalanche forecasting, as well as an update on backcountry guiding practices.

For the afternoon, presenters talked about how to better support decision making in wicked environments, foster dissent in discussions, and manage our human-caused hazards.

Day 3 at ISSW is a day of field trips and stretching the legs and lungs. Conference delegates take to the mountains, the...
10/01/2026

Day 3 at ISSW is a day of field trips and stretching the legs and lungs. Conference delegates take to the mountains, the streams, and the links.

A few of our crew visited the avalanche mitigation programs of Whistler Blackcomb and The Sea To Sky corridor. Others took the time to enjoy the pristine dirt of the Whistler Bike Park. And several spent time at the first ever ISSW Public Day to engage with the local backcountry community and share the excitement of the conference with a wider audience.

The evening capped off with the annual American Avalanche Associate (A3) Member Meeting to share updates to the organization and a look ahead at next season. As well as awards and memorials for those that have served our community or left us too soon.

Day 2 at ISSW brought another full day of science, innovation, and conversation across the avalanche industry.We started...
09/30/2026

Day 2 at ISSW brought another full day of science, innovation, and conversation across the avalanche industry.

We started with advances in understanding fracture mechanics, followed by discussions from ski areas around the world on infrastructure, forecasting methodologies, and worker safety. Remote avalanche control and remote sensing continue to evolve rapidly, opening up new possibilities for how avalanche professionals manage risk and collect information.

The afternoon covered everything from mapping and travel techniques to the latest developments in explosives mitigation. Poster sessions highlighted emerging topics including climate change and avalanche forecasting, Search and Rescue frameworks for motorized users, and the ways AI is being leveraged in forecasting.

We wrapped up the day celebrating the Stellar Women and this year’s award recipients, recognizing the people and contributions helping move the avalanche community forward.

Another big day at ISSW, and today is an off day. Our team is taking the opportunity for some working sessions, catching up, and enjoying Whistler Village before the conference continues!

09/30/2026

ISSW is bringing together the science, operations, and human factors that shape avalanche work.

In this interview from Whistler, Jenna Malone shares some of the research catching her attention this week, from atmospheric rivers and highway operations in British Columbia to avalanche loads on bridges and improving transparency between forecasters and line patrollers.

Jenna is also presenting two projects of her own. On Thursday, she’ll share research on “Being Difficult,” exploring how avalanche forecast teams can encourage dissent and create space for junior team members to speak up. On Friday, she’ll present a poster on the “March Mega Thaw,” examining the record warmth, low snowfall, and resulting wet slab and glide avalanche cycle that challenged forecasters across Utah.

From fracture initiation and super shear in the morning sessions to operational challenges in the afternoon, there’s a lot to dig into at ISSW this year.

Thanks for talking with us Jenna!

Day 1 at ISSW brought together the international avalanche community to share research, ideas, and experiences shaping t...
09/29/2026

Day 1 at ISSW brought together the international avalanche community to share research, ideas, and experiences shaping the future of avalanche safety.

From advances in avalanche release research and the human factors that influence decision-making, to risk management, risk communication, and the growing role of AI in avalanche operations, forecasting, and data analysis, the day was filled with thoughtful conversations and new perspectives.

We wrapped up the day with a live recording of Between Two Flakes, bringing together the Avalanche Hour, Delivering Adventure, and Utah Avalanche Center podcasts for an evening of storytelling and oral history from the avalanche profession around the world.

And that’s just day one!

Address

1416 Platte St
Denver, CO
80202

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when American Avalanche Institute posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to American Avalanche Institute:

Shortcuts

Share

Category