Dr. Ethan Greene

Dr. Ethan Greene

Instructor, Avalanche Science; Director, Colorado Avalanche Information Center
719-486-2015 | emgreene@coloradomtn.edu

photo - Dr. Ethan Greene, Director of the CAIC and Instructor for the Avalanche science programEducation

  • B.S. Meteorology, University of Utah
  • M.S. Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University
  • Ph.D. Geosciences, Colorado State University

Professional Certifications and Associations

  • Wilderness First Responder
  • State of Colorado -Type I Explosive
  • Certified Instructor, American Avalanche Association
  • Pro I and II Instructor, American Avalanche Association
  • Avalanche Operations - Level 3, Canadian Avalanche Association
  • Mountain Meteorology, American Meteorological Society
  • American Meteorological Society, Member
  • American Avalanche Association, Professional Member
  • International Association for Cryospheric Sciences - Snow and Avalanches, Division Head

Dr. Ethan Greene is an Avalanche Science instructor at Colorado Mountain College LeadvilleAbout

Dr. Ethan Greene has been the Director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) since 2005. He currently lives in Leadville and grew up in Boulder, skiing Colorado’s Front Range. Prior to his time with the CAIC, Ethan spent several winters in the San Juan Mountains, at Big Sky Ski Resort as a ski patroller and at the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center as an avalanche forecaster. Ethan approaches snow and avalanches from both a practical and theoretical perspective.

Ethan has studied meteorology at the University of Utah and Atmospheric Science, specifically snowdrift formation, at Colorado State University. He has also examined and researched the microstructure of snow and its metamorphism in Colorado and Switzerland, earning a Ph.D. in Geosciences. Ethan has published various scholarly articles on snow, weather and avalanches and been a member of national and international working groups on snow and avalanche projects.

Dr. Ethan Greene is one of the original supporters of the Avalanche Science program and helped with the initial efforts to design and approve the curriculum. As an avalanche professional, Dr. Greene recognized the need for an experiential based program geared towards industry professionals.

He specifically looks forward to showing students how to define and address avalanche safety problems and preventing avalanche tragedies in Colorado.

“The Avalanche Science program gives students a chance to dig into the fundamentals of snow, avalanches and provides time to learn, experience and experiment.” says Dr. Ethan Greene, “I look forward to meeting, teaching, and working with a fantastic group of people.”