This event was recorded on October 17, 2026 at TACAW, produced by Kaya Williams, in partnership with Aspen Public Radio.
Maybe you’ve seen the Super El Niño hats — and stickers, and t-shirts and hoodies and headlines. But what does this change in global weather patterns really mean for our winter in the valley? At Aspen Public Radio’s third annual Backcountry Symposium at TACAW, Open Snow Chief Operating Officer and meteorologist Sam Collentine gets into the forecast for Aspen Snowmass in the 2026-27 ski season and shares tricks to find powder this winter.
Sam Collentine is the Chief Operating Officer and Colorado Meteorologist at OpenSnow. Before joining OpenSnow as the company's first employee, Sam attended the University of Colorado, spent time at Channel 7 News in Denver, and at the National Weather Service in Boulder. In his spare time, you will most likely find Sam hunting powder in Highland Bowl, gravel biking, or trail running in the high alpine around the Roaring Fork.
About the Backcountry Symposium
Aspen Public Radio and The Arts Campus at Willits (TACAW) collaborate on this annual event for backcountry safety, preparedness and appreciation. The third annual event, held Oct. 17, featured both hands-on workshops and traditional talks and panels. Additional presentations from this and past events are archived here.