OpenSummit is your trusted source for the most accurate weather forecast, high-resolution map overlays, and trail conditions information.
In this guide to getting started with OpenSummit, we will walk you through the app and website, answer frequently asked questions, and share essential tools so that you always catch the best weather window for your next adventure.
Create Free Account
This is not required, though creating a free account will be the first of two steps to provide you with a convenient rundown of your favorite locations.
The same email and password will be used to access your account on both the OpenSummit app and website, as well as our winter service, OpenSnow.
Favorites
Choose the safest day and time for your next adventure with a convenient rundown of your favorite locations. Add locations to your Favorites by clicking the star on any location or by editing your list in Settings > Your Favorites.
We color-code detailed hourly data so that you can quickly find your best weather window.
We also use recent weather conditions to estimate if the trail is snow-covered, muddy, a little wet, or dry, and we update this every hour.
Estimated Trail Conditions are available exclusively to All-Access subscribers.
Locations
Upon initial load of any location screen, we provide a quick look at the Estimated Trail Conditions, along with a visual history of precipitation and temperature over the past 24 hours by clicking 'Show Weather History'.
The next section is labeled as 'Hourly Weather Forecast'. Each location includes the hourly chance of precipitation, lightning potential, temperature, wind speed/gust/direction, and cloud cover. Free users can see 2 days of the hourly data, while All-Access subscribers can see the next 5 days.
Chance of Precipitation: The y-axis provides a range in precipitation percentage. The x-axis provides the time and chance of precipitation for each hour. We also include the precipitation type. Rain is green, rain/snow is purple, and hourly data for snow is blue.
Lightning Potential: The y-axis provides a range from none to very high. The x-axis provides the time and lightning potential for each hour. Green is a low chance, yellow is a medium chance, and the hourly data for a high or very high chance is red.
Temperature: The y-axis provides the range in temperature. The x-axis provides the time and temperature for each hour.
Wind Speed: The y-axis provides the range in wind speed. The x-axis provides the time on a continuous line for sustained wind speed, gust, and direction. The color-coded wind risk icons are calculated from the average wind gust and average wind speed over the 24-hour period.
- Green: Gust is >= 20 MPH or Speed >= 10 MPH
- Yellow: Gust is >= 30 MPH or Speed >= 20 MPH
- Red: Gust is >= 50 MPH or Speed >= 40 MPH
Cloud Cover: The y-axis provides the range in cloud cover %. The x-axis provides the time and hourly cloud cover % for each hour.
The final section to note under any individual location screen is ‘Nearby Locations’. This section will populate with a map of nearby locations and a quick look at their 5-day forecasts.
High-Resolution Maps
We make it easy (and beautiful) to see if there is precipitation and wildfire smoke heading towards your favorite location, and if there is poor air quality, lightning, or snow cover nearby. You can also take a peek into the future with our 18-hour forecast animations for precipitation, smoke, wind gust, cloud cover, and temperature.
The following high-resolution map overlays are available to All-Access subscribers on any device by clicking the 'Maps' tab and selecting the overlay of your choice:
- Current Radar
- Forecast Radar
- Air Quality
- Air Quality Forecast
- Smoke (surface)
- Smoke (sky)
- Lightning Density
- Estimated Snow Depth
- Estimated 24-Hour Snowfall
- Estimated Season-to-Date Snowfall
- Cloud Cover
- Wind Gust
- Temperature
Maps > Select Overlay
Maps > Radar
Maps > Forecast Radar
Maps > Air Quality
Maps > Air Quality Forecast
Maps > Smoke (surface)
Maps > Smoke (sky)
Maps > Lightning Density
Maps > Snow Depth
Maps > Snowfall (24 Hours)
Maps > Snowfall (Season)
Maps > Cloud Cover
Maps > Wind Gust
Maps > Temperature
The maps will update every hour with the latest available information.
Offline Maps
Headed out of service?
Download and save high-resolution satellite and terrain base maps in the OpenSummit app (Settings > Your Offline Maps) to be able to see your exact location on the map, even without cell service.
The GPS in your mobile device works perfectly offline, even when the network is nonexistent.
Offline Maps are available exclusively to All-Access subscribers.
Search & Explore
Search for thousands of locations across the United States from the Maps screen and the top navigation bar.
The Maps screen also provides a quick glance at any location's 5-day forecast with our color-coded rating system.
Learn
Read helpful weather tips and company news to always be prepared on your next adventure.
Here are just a few of our favorite articles:
How To Read Clouds Above Treeline
How Does Elevation Impact Temperature?
View the entire library under the 'Learn' tab.
Frequently Asked Questions
(Q) What is the difference between a Free and All-Access account?
The following features are available to free accounts:
- 2-Day Hourly Forecasts
- Favorite Mountains List
With the All-Access subscription for $29.99/year (Single) or $39.99/year (Group), you receive unlimited access to OpenSummit AND our winter service, OpenSnow, with the following features:
- 5-Day Hourly Forecasts
- Estimated Trail Conditions
- Offline Maps
- Current & Forecast Radar
- Wildfire Smoke Forecast Maps
- Air Quality Map
- Air Quality Forecast Map
- Real-Time Lightning Map
- Estimated Snow Depth Map
- Estimated 24-Hour Snowfall Map
- Cloud Cover Map
- Wind Gust Map
- Temperature Map
- OpenSnow All-Access
That's year-round weather coverage for all of your adventures for less than a cup of coffee per month.
(Q) What is the difference between the Single and Group subscription?
All-Access Single
- 1 Subscription
- 1 Person
- $29.99/year
All-Access Group
- 1 Subscription
- 4 People
- $39.99/year (Save 66%)
Once you sign up for the Group plan, invite three friends or family members. They will have their own email/password and can set up their own list of favorite mountains.
(Q) How do you make your forecasts?
The forecasts on OpenSummit are updated every hour 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.
The benefits of this approach include:
- Proprietary algorithm to improve the precipitation, lightning, temperature, and wind speed calculations for 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.
- Blending multiple global and high-resolution models increases accuracy and confidence in the forecast.
This blend of proprietary forecast data is updated every hour on OpenSummit for thousands of locations across the United States and we are adding new locations every day.
(Q) What weather forecast data is available on OpenSummit?
The weather data on OpenSummit can be viewed as hourly forecasts for the next 5 days and includes:
- Daily High & Low Temperature
- Hourly Chance of Precipitation
- Hourly Lightning Potential
- Hourly Temperature
- Hourly Wind Speed, Gust, & Direction
- Hourly Cloud Cover %
Use the links below to view the 5-day hourly weather forecast for popular locations across the United States:
Denali, Alaska
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Half Dome, California
Mt. Rose, Nevada
Mt. Rainer, Washington
Pikes Peak, Colorado
Fruita, Colorado
Grand Teton, Wyoming
Mt. Superior, Utah
Moab, Utah
Lone Mountain, Montana
McGown Peak, Idaho
Mt. Hood, Oregon
Mt. Washington, New Hampshire
Feedback & Support
Your feedback is incredibly important to us so please reach out to [email protected] and we will respond within 1-2 days, often much sooner.
Love the OpenSummit app?
Please share your love by taking a moment to rate it with a 5-star review. These reviews help us to be seen by more people, and a larger audience provides the support needed for us to build more features and value for you.
Simply click either link above and scroll down to the section titled 'Ratings & Reviews'.
Upgrade to All-Access and receive exclusive benefits.
- Hourly Forecasts for 5 days
- Weather for the past 24 hours
- Radar Map Layer
- Snow Depth Map Layer
- OpenSnow All-Access
See the whole picture for only $29.99/year and don't get zapped.
