Why commercial forecasts suck
Commercial snow forecasts are built on large-scale weather models. They work for a whole mountain range. But powder depends on local things: aspect, weird local wind, the temperature during the storm, what the snow fell on. That is why you show up for “50 cm” and find wind crust or chowder. Or you come with low expectations and get the day of the season.
Zoom in
The big models get close for places like Chamonix or St. Anton. But what about that bowl that isn’t on any map? The people who were there know what really happened. If enough riders log their real days, we can compare them with what was forecast and what the weather stations measured, and train a better model, spot by spot.
What we need
Your best and worst days, back to winter 2021/22:
- Date and spot, as precise as you can
- A rating from 1 to 5
- What the snow was like
- Optional, but very valuable: a GPS track or photos from the day
Surprises are the most useful: great days on a meh forecast, and hyped forecasts that delivered meh.
Log a ski day
Takes about a minute. One entry per day.
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Where
I’m starting with my own strike-mission area, the Eastern Alps in Austria, Italy and Slovenia: from Schneeberg in the east to the Zillertal in the west, and from Salzburg in the north to Lake Garda in the south. If it works, we expand.
What you get back
I’ll share the forecasts with everyone who contributes, starting this winter.
Your data
Entries are used only for this project. No names are published and exact spots are never shown.