The Story Behind the New Powder Poobah

Andrea Hamilton
4 days ago
5 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

Wait! What’s new — and what about Larry?

Great questions. Larry’s still here — his humor, clarity and early-season forecasts continue to shape the tone people love. But behind the scenes, there’s a new chapter.

I’m Andrea, the new owner of Powder Poobah — and this is the first time I’m sharing the full story.

Larry is 100% the face and voice of Pacific Northwest snow forecasting. What most people don’t know is that in 2022, he handed the Poobah off to me when he decided to retire from full-time forecasting.

This is my fourth season at the helm, and not many know how the transition happened — or how it connects to the outdoor community I’m part of.

So here it is.

What Is Powder Poobah?

Actually, it's Larry Schick, meteorologist. Self-anointed and nicknamed the Powder Poobah. The GPOP, Grand Poobah of Powder is a former surfer, avid (and awesome) skier, retired from KING-TV and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Our Powder Alert is the longest-running Pacific Northwest snow forecast — a trusted, skier & rider-friendly source for storm insight and snow stoke for over 25 years. Larry’s voice shaped it from day one, blending meteorology with local knowledge and a deep love of the Cascades.

Today, the Powder Alert reaches more than 10,000 subscribers each season with over 7,000 people opening each email, which is pretty awesome for any newsletter. Our readers range from lifelong mountain locals and weekend warriors to transplants who we welcome with open arms. It's for anyone who plans their winter or spring around snow.

If you’ve been reading Powder Poobah for years, you already know it’s 100% Pacific Northwest culture. Larry Schick built this community through decades of no-nonsense forecasting, humor, deep experience and his love of snow.

How Andrea & Amund became owners of the Powder Poobah

I know Larry from my days at Sturtevant's as marketing and event coordinator. Larry and I had discussed his retirement idea for a couple years. After decades of forecasting from October-April, the Poobah was ready to ski more, travel more and enjoy the winters he’d spent so long writing about.

In 2022, Larry handed it off to me.

That’s when I purchased Powder Poobah with my husband, Amund. I run the daily operations, partnerships, community engagement, publishing and all the systems that keep the Poobah running. Amund supports as a motivator, silent partner — and is a Poobah fan.

Larry writes a dozen or so early-season forecasts every year and then he gets to do the thing he deserves — ski more and travel. His voice continues to shape the humor, tone and clarity people love!

Our operational meteorologist, Michael Fagin, writes the majority of forecasts during the heart of the season. Together, we publish around 65 Powder Alerts each season and get to connect with the best and most loyal snow-loving audiences anywhere.

Powder Poobah Timeline

• 1990s: Larry begins writing snow forecasts

• 2000s–2020: Powder Poobah becomes a regional winter institution

• 2022: Ownership transitions to Andrea and Amund Nicholson

• 2022–present: Larry semi-retires, Michael Fagin becomes operational meteorologist, Andrea leads brand and community growth

What’s New Under My Leadership

In the last few years, we’ve expanded the Poobah in thoughtful ways — without changing what people love:

• A new website

• Events: in person and Zoom presentations with Q and A

• Fun contests for subscribers with awesome sponsor giveaways.

• Stickers, beanies, hats, and shirts.

• A growing connection between Powder Poobah and Women’s Outdoor Connection

And now, a new initiative:

Slope Stories — celebrating the people who shape our community

Slope Stories highlights skiers and riders over 50 — and in memoriam tributes to those who left a mark on our winter world. It’s a way to honor the everyday legends who make the mountains feel like home.

My story: Skiing, Family and the Community That Raised Me

(Andrea — 60 Over 60)

I was born in the Seattle area, as were my parents. My parents and grandparents were here when Snoqualmie Summit was accessible by train. I learned to ski at the Summit with my brother and sister and spent countless winter weekends at my Aunt Marion and Uncle Jack’s cabin at Alpental. My four cousins all skied, raced and taught — and being surrounded by that energy shaped everything for me.

At 19, I met my husband-to-be, Tyler Hamilton, at the top of Chair 2 at Alpental. He encouraged me to teach skiing. Many years later life changed. When Tyler passed away in 2010, our boys were 9 and 17. A year later, I went back to the mountain on his birthday, realizing how much I missed skiing and community.

In 2012, I returned for instructor orientation and have been teaching at Alpental ever since.

The mountains gave me a place to rebuild, reconnect and have fun. They also became a space where my sons could grow — one fully obsessed with snow and the other happy to join when the conditions are right.

The Work That Came Next: Connecting Outdoor People

In 2016, I was hired by Tracy Gibbons at Sturtevant’s as marketing and event coordinator. Sturtevant’s has been a longtime sponsor of Powder Poobah, and that’s how I first met Larry. Over the years I built a strong connection with Larry around snow, community and the shared love of the Cascades.

In 2019 I was reacquainted with high school friend Amund (he's an avid skier) and we married.

By 2023, I created Women’s Outdoor Connection (WOC) — an event that brings together women of all ages to meet local outdoor organizations, build confidence, find community and discover new ways to get outside. What started small is now an annual gathering with 200+ attendees, partner groups, sponsors and a growing year-round community.

Mission and Values

My mission is simple: Keep the forecast reliable. Keep the voice authentic. Keep growing the community that loves winter.

Powder Poobah is more than a snow report — it’s a little community of skiers and riders who live for storms, cold mornings, chairlift stories and the joys of being on snow.

What’s Ahead

Between Powder Poobah and Women’s Outdoor Connection, I’m lucky to be part of a community where skiing and snowboarding brings out the best in us — the belonging, the adventure and the joy that keeps us coming back.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for being here.

Andrea

Owner, Powder Poobah

Founder, Women’s Outdoor Connection (check it out here)

About the Team

Andrea Hamilton — Owner & Publisher

Leads daily operations, publishing, partnerships, community building, events and overall Poobah direction.

Larry Schick — Founder & Senior Contributor

Writes early-season forecasts and continues to shape the Poobah voice, humor and snow expertise.

Michael Fagin — Operational Meteorologist

Forecasts the majority of winter weather throughout the season and keeps Powder Alerts accurate and timely. "I have been forecasting for Northwest US since 1976 and working for clients since 1996. I have been forecasting for Mt Everest since 2003 and other regions on a worldwide basis since 2003. Work with associates in forensic meteorology as expert witness for ligation issues."