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By Sam Collentine, Meteorologist Posted 2 years ago July 1, 2021

Proprietary Snow Forecast Data

Our goal is to create the most accurate snow forecast, period. 

On July 1, 2021, we began updating the forecasts on OpenSnow with a proprietary blend of global data from the GFS (American), GDPS (Canadian), and ICON (German) weather models, along with high-resolution data from the HRRR (American) and HRDPS (Canadian) weather models.

Prior to 2021, we combined information from our local forecasters, the National Weather Service (NOAA), and data from the ECMWF (European) weather model. This method only provided hourly data for the United States and relied on a single model to produce our snow forecasts for the next 10 days.

Why is this new forecast data better than the old forecast data? The benefits include:

  • Proprietary algorithm to improve the snow-to-liquid ratio, precipitation, temperature, and wind speed calculations for cold, mountain environments.
  • Provides the ability to create a forecast for any location (and elevation) to ensure that we are forecasting conditions on the mountain and not for a nearby town.
  • An improved method for calculating the snow level (elevation that separates rain from snow) to provide a more realistic forecast, especially at the beginning of storms and during times of intense snowfall.
  • Blending multiple global and high-resolution models increases accuracy and confidence in the forecast.

The data can be viewed as hourly forecasts for the next 5 days or daily forecasts for the next 10 days and includes:

  • Day & Night Snow Forecast
  • Day & Night Snow Level
  • Daily High & Low Temperature
  • Hourly Chance of Precipitation
  • Hourly Temperature
  • Hourly Wind Speed, Gust, & Direction
  • Hourly Cloud Cover %

This new blend of proprietary forecast data is updated every hour on OpenSnow for thousands of locations around the world and we are adding new locations every day.

Here is an example of the OpenSnow 10-day snow forecast for Snowbird, Utah:

Daily alerts are also included to signal upcoming powder days, along with the potential for rain, snow/rain, and high winds. Alert breakdown:

  • Blue = Powder (Forecast of 6+ inches from the previous night and current day)
  • Green = Rain (Expect rain on all of the mountain)
  • Purple = Snow/Rain (Expect a transition from snow to rain on the mountain)
  • Yellow = Wind (Wind gusts greater than 45mph and possible lift closures)

Use the links below to view the 10-day snow forecast for popular ski resorts around the world:

BreckenridgeColorado

SnowbirdUtah

Jackson HoleWyoming

Squaw ValleyCalifornia

RevelstokeBritish Columbia

Niseko Annupuri, HokkaidoJapan

ChamonixFrance

VerbierSwitzerland

St. AntonAustria

CortinaItaly

PortilloChile

Las LeñasArgentina

PerisherAustralia

Coronet PeakNew Zealand


Explore Locations → OpenSnow.com


Have questions? Send an email to [email protected] and we'll respond as quickly as possible, usually within 24 hours!

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About The Author

Sam Collentine

Meteorologist

Sam Collentine is the Chief Operating Officer of OpenSnow and lives in Basalt, Colorado. Before joining OpenSnow, he studied Atmospheric Science at the University of Colorado, spent time at Channel 7 News in Denver, and at the National Weather Service in Boulder.

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