About Us > Snow School

Westwide Snow Survey Training School

What is Snow School?

Snow Survey Training School is required for current and new NRCS employees and cooperators that perform snow survey duties as part of their job. Students from all over the country participate in an intense week of training in data collection, safety and outdoor survival. As part of the winter survival training, students learn to build emergency snow shelters using equipment they carry in their packs.

Snow School participants build a snow shelter with equipment carried in their pack.

Most Snow Survey Training School instructors are NRCS employees who work directly with the Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting (SSWSF) Program. Instructors in avalanche and outdoor survival are world-renowned experts in their fields.

Course work is about 50% classroom lecture and 50% field exercises.

More Information

Course Objectives, Prerequisites, Eligibility

Photo Galleries: 2018, West Yellowstone, Montana

   2017, Bend, Oregon

   2016, Bend, Oregon