Former Park City ski patroller Paige Pagnucco appointed as director of Utah Avalanche Center

Paige Pagnucco will become the UAC's new director starting this month. Photo: Paige Pagnucco

Pagnucco lived in Park City from 1991-2003, and she began her snow and avalanche career as a professional ski patroller at Park City Mountain Resort, where she was a route leader and avalanche educator.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest officials have announced long-time avalanche education and outreach coordinator, Paige Pagnucco, as the new Utah Avalanche Center director. She will succeed former director Mark Staples starting this month. Pagnucco first joined the avalanche center in 2003.

Pagnucco lived in Park City from 1991-2003, and she began her snow and avalanche career as a professional ski patroller at Park City Mountain Resort, where she was a route leader and avalanche educator. She also participated in the resort’s avalanche rescue dog program as a handler. Pagnucco grew up skiing in New England, and she ski raced at Skidmore Colllege for four years, before moving west.

The Director position manages the avalanche program across the state of Utah. Avalanche forecasting, education, and awareness are provided in coordination with the nonprofit Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center. The Utah Avalanche Center Forest and non-profit partnership exists to help people make informed decisions in the backcountry so that they can safely return home to their families each day.

Pagnucco is a snow and avalanche professional who brings over 30 years of experience to her new role as Director of the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center. She has served as a backcountry avalanche forecaster for the Utah Avalanche Center and highway avalanche forecaster for the Utah Department of Transportation.

Pagnucco currently lives and works out of the Logan area. When she is not busy with snow and avalanches, you will find Pagnucco in the mountains hiking, pedaling her mountain bike, or mountain climbing.