Anchorage to teach forecasting basics class

  • 2022-09-08
The Alaska Avalanche School will be offering a course in Anchorage at APU Grant Hall to teach people about forecasting winter weather.

Alaska Winter Weather Forecasting (Basic) is a two-day learning experience where students can learn how to make their own weather forecasts to help them plan safe excursions in mountain environments. The lesson will introduce participants to meteorology and teach them about how the atmosphere works. The instructor of the course is Jim Woodmencey, who is a former meteorologist for the Alaska Avalanche Forecast Center who graduated from Montana State University.

The Alaska Avalanche School is an organization that educates people about how to stay safe while in the mountains. The educational group was founded by Doug Fesler in 1976. The current president of the school is Heather Johnson, and Hazel Blum is the group's vice president. The organization offers many courses on topics such as youth avalanche education, snowmobile riding, and wilderness medicine. People interested in working in the avalanche industry can take the school's pro courses.

The forecasting class will be on Saturday, November 12th and Sunday, November 13th from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. The cost to attend Woodmencey's forecasting course is $550 per student. Only 15 spots are open for the lesson. Instructors for educational experiences like this may use poster printing to share their classes with the public.