American Avalanche Institute

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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.

10/28/2026

Join AAI in Salt Lake City for a two-part avalanche awareness series at Fisher Brewing.

Build Your Backcountry Buddy. Bring your backcountry crew or come meet someone new. Over two evenings, we’ll cover the basics of avalanche awareness, from reading forecasts and recognizing avalanche terrain to identifying red flags in the snowpack and traveling safely as a team.

The goal? Head into winter with a shared plan, more confidence in your partners, and a course on the calendar.

November 19 & January 14
6:30–8:30 PM
Fisher Brewing | Salt Lake City
Free to attend

Space is limited to the first 120 people, so register through the link in our bio.

Must be 21 or older with valid ID.

Presented in partnership with Fisher Brewing.

10/26/2026

Getting ready for winter starts before the snow really flies.

For the first video in our early-season prep series, AAI instructor Jake Hutchinson shares a few things to think about as we head into another winter. Jake has been part of the AAI team in different capacities for many years, and he’s sharing some helpful reminders to get us ready for the season ahead.

From checking your avalanche safety gear and preparing your forecast resources to paying attention to early-season snowpack conditions, there’s plenty to do before your first day in the backcountry.

We’ll be sharing more tips throughout the series to help you prepare for winter, refresh your skills, and start the season with a solid foundation.

10/22/2026

At ISSW 2026 in Whistler, Nina Marienthal of Beartooth Powder Guides and AAI shares her perspective on avalanche education for motorized backcountry users.

Living in Cooke City, Montana, where snowmobilers and backcountry skiers share the same terrain, Nina is especially interested in how research can help improve education and rescue preparedness for snowmobilers.

One key takeaway from the conference: carrying rescue gear is only part of the equation. Regular practice is just as important.

10/20/2026

What’s so super about a Super El Niño?

At CSAW 2026, Greg Heavener, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service, shared what historical El Niño patterns can tell us about the winter ahead.

Key takeaways:

Tilting the odds: El Niño shifts the odds toward certain weather patterns, but it doesn’t guarantee specific outcomes.

Milder and wetter: Current outlooks show higher confidence in increased moisture across Colorado and slightly milder temperatures, with the possibility of rain at higher elevations.

A midwinter dip: January and February can bring dry, mild stretches across the state.

The bigger storms: Historically, super El Niño seasons have brought some notable storms, while average wind speeds have tended to be lower.

Seasonal outlooks help us understand what’s possible, but they don’t tell the whole story. We’ll be watching to see how this winter unfolds.

Thanks to Greg for sharing his insights at CSAW 2026!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

Address

1416 Platte St
Denver, CO
80202

Website

http://www.americanavalancheinstitute.com/

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