We invite you to the 36th annual Steamboat Weather Summit, the longest-running mountain meteorological symposium in the ski industry. This unique conference brings together weather specialists and meteorologists from around the country to spend a week in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to discuss the latest industry issues and trends while broadcasting live and creating stories for their viewing audiences back home.

Each year, a select group of meteorologists from the top television markets in the country are invited to join us in Steamboat to learn more about the meteorology field and trending issues that interest their broadcast audiences. Designed as a hands-on and interactive exchange of information, ideas and experiences for broadcast meteorologists, the Steamboat Weather Summit has gained a national reputation for excellence over the years. Conference sessions are held each day with additional time allowed for feature production, live shots and, of course, powder research. The Steamboat Weather Summit is eligible for AMS points.

2026 Weather Summit

Tuesday, January 20

Wednesday, January 21

Thursday, January 22

  • AM Thunderhead Breakfast
  • PM Sessions
  • Dinner- Hazie’s

Friday, January 23

Saturday, January 24

  • Farewell Breakfast

AI Innovations for Forecasting Severe Weather, Snowfall, and Avalanche
Joel Gratz, CEO & Founding Meteorologist at OpenSnow
Joel Gratz is the CEO and Founding Meteorologist at OpenSnow, a mobile app and website that provides snow forecasts, travel advice, and year-round weather data to millions of skiers, snowboarders, and adventurers every year. Joel has a meteorology degree from Penn State, a Masters and MBA from the University of Colorado, and has been a die-hard skier and weather nerd since elementary school.


Wildest Weather in the World, Meteorology for Mountain Roads
Mike Chapman, Winter Operations Program Manager at Colorado Department of Transportation
Mike is the Winter Operations Program Manager and Chief Meteorologist for the Colorado Department of Transportation. He has been in this role for the past four winter seasons. Mike previously worked at the National Center for Atmospheric Research as a Scientist leading multiple transportation projects worldwide. Between his time at NCAR and CDOT, Mike worked for several startups in the private weather technology industry and sold one of the startups in 2019. In his private life, Mike likes to hang out with his four girls, ski, hike and fish as well as play golf in Colorado and at his little beach house in Florida.



How it Started… and How it Sometimes Goes
Paul Goodloe of The Weather Channel
This interactive session brings together veteran and rising broadcast meteorologists for a candid, humorous look back at our earliest days on television featuring short clips from participants’ original résumé tapes and early on-air footage—those formative moments that shaped our careers (for better or worse). Equal parts nostalgia, humility, and community-building, this session reminds us how far we’ve come—and why we can’t take ourselves too seriously.


Doing More with Less: How Media Careers Evolve
Panel (Lisa Hidalgo, Judson Jones, Rob Marciano)
From local stations to national networks to multimedia to print, meteorologists are redefining their roles as the demands of modern media continue to grow. This panel features professionals discussing how their careers have evolved and how the next generation can prepare for what’s ahead.


Olympian Panel

TBD

Live Remotes & Packages

During Steamboat Weather Summit, reach your viewers at home while in one of the most unique weather locations in the Rocky Mountains.
Steamboat Weather Summit
Live Remotes
Steamboat provides all the necessities, including story ideas, cameramen and production assistance as well as on-site Live U capabilities to conduct live weathercasts and feed tapes and produced packages back to your station. Live shots are booked on a first-come, first-served basis. Live shots are available anytime of the day. To book a slot, email Laura Kuczkowski at lkuczkowski@steamboat.com with the following information: date, 15-minute window, time zone, station, IFB phone number, control room phone number and control room contact/producer name.

Story Ideas

  • Ski patrol and mountain safety
  • Winter activities: dog sledding, ice climbing, ski jumping
  • Any ideas you have, we can make happen

2026 Registration

A limited number of invitations are sent each year, creating a more intimate conference experience. Participation in the Steamboat Weather Summit is based on live shots and package production. Conference fees are discounted for live shots/produced packages created during the summit. Partial and full scholarships are available for first-time participants.

Feel free to contact Maren Franciosi or Laura Kuczkowski for more information about scholarships and registration fees. Registration includes lodging, all conference sessions, activities and most meals. Air transportation is included for meteorologists outside Colorado.

If you are interested in an extended stay, availability is extremely limited. Please reach out for more information. Extended stay and guest fees apply.