OpenSnow is your trusted source for the most accurate forecast, snow report, and severe weather maps.

In this guide to getting started with OpenSnow, we will walk you through the essential features and provide answers to frequently asked questions.

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iOS Widgets

See current conditions, check the forecast, and keep an eye on your favorite webcams right on your iPhone and Mac home screen.

View → Widgets

Getting Started

1. Tap and hold an empty area on the home screen until the apps jiggle.
2. Tap the "Add Button (+)" in the upper-left corner.
3. Search or scroll down to "OpenSnow".
4. Scroll through our list of widgets and then tap "(+) Add Widget".

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My Location Forecast

Get severe weather alerts, current conditions, contextualized mini weather maps, 15-day forecast, astronomy data, and historical weather for your current location.

View → My Location

Getting Started

1. Open the app or website.
2. Tap the "My Location" tab.

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3D & Offline Maps

We make it easy to track incoming storms with current and forecast radar over high-resolution 3D satellite maps.

View forecast animations for snowfall, air quality, wildfire smoke, current lightning risk, hail size, snow depth, avalanche forecast, active fire perimeters, public and private land ownership maps, and more.

View → Maps

Getting Started

1. Tap the "Maps" tab.
2. Tap the overlay button.
3. Select any overlay.
4. Scrub the bottom slider (if available).
5. Tap "3D" to adjust the pitch.

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Super-Res Radar + StormNet

StormNet is our AI-powered severe weather forecast system that produces real-time, high-resolution 7-day forecasts for:

• Lightning
• Hail
• Damaging Winds
• Tornado

Super-Res Radar is the highest-resolution radar data available from 159 stations across the continental United States.

Combined, Super-Res Radar + StormNet provides a first-of-its-kind, multiple-component AI severe weather forecast system for the United States.

View → Super-Res Radar + StormNet

Getting Started

1. Tap the "Maps" tab.
2. Tap the overlay button.
3. Tap "Super-Res Radar + StormNet".
4. Play or scrub the bottom slider.

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View 15-Day Forecasts

Finding the location that has the best conditions can feel overwhelming.

With OpenSnow, deciding where to go is easy. View the latest 15-day forecast, snow report, expert updates, and webcams for your favorite locations in just a few seconds.

View → Favorites

Getting Started

1. Tap the "Favorites" tab.
2. Select "Winter" or "Summer".
3. Compare conditions and 15-day forecasts.

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Local "Daily Snow" Experts

Instead of spending hours sifting through weather data, get the inside scoop in just a few minutes.

Our local experts write a new “Daily Snow” forecast each day for regions around the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Have one of our expert local forecasters guide you to the best conditions.

View → Forecasts

Getting Started

1. Tap the "Daily Snows" tab.
2. Scroll through and select any Daily Snow.
3. Tap the star icon in the upper right to add it to your Favorites.
4. Tap the alert/bell icon in the upper right.

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Review Frequently Asked Questions

(Q) What is the difference between free and paid accounts?

The following features are available to free accounts:

• My Location 15-Day Forecast
• Snow Forecast 15-Day Summary
• Expert "Daily Snow" Summary
• Avalanche Forecast
• Active Fires Map
• Webcams

The following features are available to OpenSnow Base subscribers:

• 10-Day Forecasts
• Current & Forecast Radar
• Estimated Trail Conditions
• 3D Satellite Maps
• Offline Satellite Maps
• Public & Private Land Ownership Maps
• 50,000+ Weather Stations
• Lightning Risk & Strike Map
• Hail Size Map
• Fall Colors Map
• Real-Time Air Quality Map
• Air Quality Forecasts
• Wildfire Smoke Forecast Maps
• Historical Weather & Snow Reports
• 10-Day Snow Forecasts
• Expert Snow Forecasters
• Snow Depth Map
• Season Snowfall Map
• Snow Forecast & Snow Report Alerts
• Snow Forecast & Snow Report Widgets

The following features are available to OpenSnow Premium subscribers:

• Everything in the Base plan, plus...
• 15-Day Forecasts
• AI Overviews
• Forecast Range (Multi-Model Comparison)
• Super-Res Radar + StormNet
• Severe Weather Alerts

(Q) How much does OpenSnow cost?

Base

• $49.99 USD per year
• PEAKS Model
• 10-Day Forecasts
• Local "Daily Snow" Experts
• 3D & Offline Maps
• Custom Snow Alerts

Premium

• $99.99 USD per year
• Everything in Base, plus...
• 15-Day Forecasts
• Forecast Range
• AI Overviews
• Super-Res Radar + StormNet
• Severe Weather Alerts

(Q) How do you calculate the snow forecast summary?

We calculate the snow forecast summary by taking the snow forecast for the previous night plus the current day. The summary calculation is shown this way since this is the snow that you would see/ski on that day.

Example: The snow forecast summary has 12 inches for Friday.

• Thursday Night = 5-9 inches = 7 inches
• Friday Day = 3-7 inches = 5 inches

Friday Summary = 12 inches

(Q) How do you make your forecasts?

The weather forecasts in OpenSnow are created by our proprietary PEAKS model, producing forecasts up to 50% more accurate in mountain terrain. PEAKS learns from past storms and transforms normal weather models (used by other apps) into sharper, more location-specific forecasts. Learning from past storms is what human meteorologists do, but unlike humans, PEAKS can forecast for every location on Earth and provide updates within a few seconds.

(Q) What weather forecast data is available on OpenSnow?

The weather forecast data on OpenSnow can be viewed as hourly and daily forecasts:

Hourly:

• Snow Forecast
• Snow Ratio
• Snow Level (Rain/Snow Elevation)
• Precipitation Chance
• Precipitation Forecast
• Temperature
• Feels Like Temperature
• Relative Humidity
• Wind Direction, Speed, & Gust
• Cloud Cover
• Lightning Potential

Day & Night:

• Snow Forecast
• Snow Ratio
• Snow Level (Rain/Snow Elevation)
• Precipitation Chance
• Precipitation Forecast
• Temperature
• Feels Like Temperature
• Relative Humidity
• Wind Direction, Speed, & Gust
• Cloud Cover
• Weather Alerts

Use the links below to view the 15-day snow forecast for popular ski resorts around the world:

• Breckenridge, Colorado
• Alta, Utah
• Jackson Hole, Wyoming
• Palisades Tahoe, California
• Revelstoke, British Columbia
• Niseko, Japan
• Chamonix, France
• Zermatt, Switzerland
• St. Anton, Austria
• Cortina, Italy
• Portillo, Chile
• Las Leñas, Argentina
• Perisher, Australia
• Coronet Peak, New Zealand

(Q) How do you break up the day and night 15-day forecast?

The "day" forecast is from 6 am to 6 pm, while the "night" forecast is from 6 pm to 6 am.

(Q) What do the different colored alerts signal?

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

• Orange = 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 45 mph and possible lift closures)

(Q) What is the difference between the blue, orange, and purple snow forecast bars?

• Blue bars show snowfall under 6 inches.
• Orange bars show snowfall over 6 inches.
• Purple bars indicate mixed precip (rain/snow).

The color change from blue to orange is a simple visual clue to denote the higher snow totals and deeper powder potential.

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Feedback & Support

Questions? Send an email to [email protected] and we'll respond within 24 hours. You can also visit our Support Center to view more frequently asked questions and feature guides.

Sam Collentine