46 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Winter 2006-07

Evelyn Lees knows snow. As an avalanche forecaster, she knows how to predict when snow is 

likely to slide. And she tries to communicate this 

danger to backcountry recreationists. 

“When it’s dangerous, we’re telling people where 

not to go,” Evelyn says. “But we also try to tell people 

about safer places where they can go.” 

Forecasting avalanches is a matter of life and death. 

An avalanche can wreak destruction as it tumbles downhill, battering and burying anything—or anyone—in its 

path. But most avalanche deaths occur after an avalanche 

stops moving, when the snow rapidly compacts and sets 

like concrete. Victims trapped beneath the snow have a 

limited supply of air and can’t dig themselves out. 

Evelyn and her colleagues analyze conditions on the 

slopes of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains backcountry and 

then publish advisories using an international avalanche 

danger scale. The terrain they study is vast and varied. 

Two or three forecasters rotate visiting different areas 

while a fourth works in the office, issuing advisories. 

They alternate 2 days in the field with 2 in the office. 

Forecasters change fieldwork areas regularly to 

sample a wide variety of conditions across miles of terrain. Working her way up and down the mountain allows 

Evelyn to pinpoint areas of concern. “I focus on the 

areas I have the most questions about,” she says. 

In each questionable area, Evelyn gauges the structure and strength of the snow layers. She does this by 

digging a snowpit, a hole in the snow about 3 to 5 feet 

deep and 5 feet wide, and performing one or more tests 

on a section of it. For example, she might cut out a 

column of snow and apply force to assess how much 

exertion is required to make the column fall apart. She 

also notes the layer at which it collapses. 

The purpose of these tests is to determine the 

stability of the snow layers—the snowpack—in that 

area. Snowpack instability results from a combination 

of factors, such as changing weather that creates weak 

supporting layers. A layer of light, powdery snow can’t 

support a heavy, wet layer on top of it, for instance, 

and new snow usually bonds poorly to ice crusts. Such 

unstable snowpack breaking loose on a steep slope is an 

avalanche. 

It takes about 15 minutes to dig and examine each 

snowpit. But how long a field day lasts depends on how 

many miles of terrain a forecaster covers, usually by hiking up and skiing down the mountains. Downhill ski runs 

take minutes, but hiking uphill is slower business. And 

a field day doesn’t end right after coming off the slopes: 

Forecasters still must call or e-mail the office to leave a 

detailed message with their observations. 

The avalanche forecaster working in the office 

checks those and other messages upon arrival the next 

day at 4 a.m. Along with reports from forecasters in the 

field, there might be messages from volunteer observers, 

ski area personnel, highway control workers, and others. 

All of that information, plus a mountain weather forecast from the National Weather Service, is written into a 

detailed avalanche and mountain weather forecast. 

After writing the advisories and adding graphics, 

the forecaster uploads those advisories to the avalanche 

center’s Web site and then records them on four different 

hotlines, customized with local details—all by 7:30 a.m. 

In the next half hour, he or she does up to three live radio 

spots. The rest of the day, the forecaster updates other 

avalanche lists, photos, snow profiles, and media products. An office day usually winds up around 1 p.m. 

Issuing advisories is only part of what forecasters 

do. There are 16 avalanche centers in the United States, 

all of which publish advisories. And most of them offer 

additional resources to increase avalanche awareness 

and safety. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest 

Service National Avalanche Center in Ketchum, Idaho, 

which coordinates the centers, doesn’t issue advisories 

but provides an online tutorial, an interactive test, and an 

educational video.

The Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center in Salt 

Lake City, where Evelyn works, focuses heavily on 

outreach. In addition to providing daily advisories, the 

center’s staff members also make avalanche-awareness 

by Kathleen Green

Kathleen Green is the editor of the OOQ, (202) 691-5717.

You’re a what?

Avalanche forEcaster
Winter 2006-07 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly 47

presentations to community groups at no charge, including a “Know Before You Go” DVD. On its Web site, the 

center has still more information, such as an encyclopedia of terminology, answers to frequently asked questions, and an online tutorial. 

All of this information is aimed at preventing accidents. “If you don’t know why avalanches occur or 

where to find information,” says Evelyn, “you won’t 

know how to avoid dangerous situations.” 

And when it comes to snow safety, Evelyn and her 

colleagues practice what they teach. Before setting out 

on field days, they listen to weather reports, check advisories for the latest information, and communicate with 

each other. They always carry avalanche safety equipment, including shovels, probes, and electronic beacons 

for locating people trapped under snow. And they travel 

with a touring partner, usually an unpaid volunteer who 

is equally passionate about keeping people safe in the 

backcountry. 

Although there are no formal training requirements 

for entering the occupation, most forecasters have a 

bachelor’s or higher degree in a science field; Evelyn 

has degrees in geology and soils. Math and computer 

skills are increasingly important 

for analyzing data. Forecasters 

also need strong written, oral, 

and interpersonal communication skills to write advisories, 

make presentations, and deal 

with the public. And to work 

40- to 60-hour weeks, including spending field days in the 

mountains in cold weather, 

they must be in excellent 

physical condition and have 

backcountry travel and avalanche skills. 

Most forecasters don’t 

consider their work dangerous, largely because 

of their preparation: They 

recognize risks—and steer 

clear of them. Nevertheless, 

Evelyn says, “We have a saying: ‘Avalanche experts don’t 

exist.’ People make mistakes, but 

following procedures can help you 

stay safe.” 

According to Doug Abromeit, director of the Forest 

Service National Avalanche Center, there are about 170 

full- and part-time avalanche forecasters in the United 

States. These forecasters are concentrated primarily in 

western States and Alaska, with most working in ski 

areas. Others, like Evelyn, work as backcountry forecasters; still others are highway forecasters.

Avalanche forecasters who work for the Forest Service earned about $2,600 to $5,160 per month in 2006. 

Earnings varied for forecasters employed by States or 

private businesses. No matter where they are employed, 

though, forecasters work only from about October 

through April each year. So, most find other work during 

warmer months. Evelyn, who has been a Forest Service 

forecaster for 15 years, works as a mountain guide in 

Grand Teton National Park during the summer.

Most forecasters, says Evelyn, are drawn to the 

outdoors and the challenges of their work. “I like being 

outside and traveling to beautiful areas,” she says. “And 

I like being a detective. I find it really interesting to see 

what’s going on with the snow.”

But best for Evelyn is the feeling that she’s achieved 

her goal. “When I’m in the office and it’s 8:15 and I like 

my forecast, I’ll think, ‘I did a good job. I think I’ll 

reach people.’ It’s very satisfying.”

Evelyn Lees tests the stability of snow layers.

Article photo and back cover photo by Rick Wyatt, courtesy of Evelyn Lees