Career
He was known for being one of the first snow surveyors in the world. He worked with the California Cooperate Snow Survey for28 years and established snow surveying programs in Afghanistan and Chile. His "fabled" Geography 197 field course, which he taught from 1967 until 1989, is fondly remembered by generations of Berkeley geography graduates.
In 1976 the university awarded him the Distinguished Teaching Award.
He was voted "Best Undergraduate Instructor" by the student body. The Western Montana Atlas of Panoramic Aerial Images is dedicated to his memory.
A memorial fund in his name, the Powell Fund for Field Geography, has been established at University of California Berkeley.
