I am trying to find a good snow forecast report. The snow report links for the resorts on the buzz are good, and so is the 3 day forecast map and the general info posted by the avalanche guys. I am wondering if there are more detailed forecasts available. When I do a search on the internet, but basic stuff that I find is way off. It might predict 1/2" acculation when a resort gets 8". Of course no one gets it right 100% of the time, but I am looking for something a bit better. Any thoughts?
I use www.snowforecast.com - they sometimes overestimates the amount of snow just a bit, but it's an imperfect science anyway. I also check the nws.noaa.gov site on the day before for the alerts- they have no agenda to exaggerate.
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They never know for sure. Some of the biggest mountain storms we've had hadn't even predicted anything.
Ian, also be sure to remember that snowfall totals for a lot of these places might be influenced by the marketing department. They will have like 5 places on the mountain where they measure, and the one that gets reported is the exposure with the most snow. Sometimes the foot of powder they report is in a gully or somewhere where the wind deposits snow.
They seem to be the best at GUESSING the snow reports. Whitelightning is right on about marketing and also the best snowfalls seem to come from the unpredicted storms.
My advice to you: Wake up in the early in the morning and call CAIC to get accurate snowfall totals.
I think the best is the colorado forecast discussion at http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/co/discussion.html
you need to look for the report in your area but generally the discussion is reliable and breaks down the systems that are out there. You need to get used to some of teh acronyms but once you do it is a good site to add to the list.
Also dispatcher.org is the website used by the FAA. once at the site go to the Weather Brief page. It takes some time to load but has national satalite images, jet stream analysis, wind forecast,
The CAIC is your best bet. They are in the same building and share space w/ the national weather service. They work hand in hand , sharing information. Ethan Green who has replaced long time forecaster knox williams as the director of the CAIC is an awesome forecaster. Ethan is well repsected in other states (UTah, Montana) the other forecaster Dale Atkins and Nick Logan, and Scott Toepher have had several year experience. Check them out. They have been right on so far. Almost when they predict a storm they turn on a switch
Call Dave Dempsey and get the real-time weather report!
Get in touch about this weekend,
--Andy
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Nothing in the world is more yielding and gentle than water. Yet it has no equal for conquering the resistant and tough. The flexible can overcome the unbending; the soft can overcome the hard. - Lao Tse
I rely on the Colo Avalanche Information site too. i've been checking it for at least7 or 8 years and find that they are almost always right, and they tell you what the general avy ratings are. They used to post the web site in the morning, but in the past couple of years it's pretty inconsistent on when they post the web site. The phone line always seems to be up early AM, if anyone in here knows the CAIC guys you should try to get them to post the website in the morning, much more useful than 5 pm, in my opinion. PRay for MORE snow!!!
I rely on the Colo Avalanche Information site too. i've been checking it for at least7 or 8 years and find that they are almost always right, and they tell you what the general avy ratings are. They used to post the web site in the morning, but in the past couple of years it's pretty inconsistent on when they post the web site. The phone line always seems to be up early AM, if anyone in here knows the CAIC guys you should try to get them to post the website in the morning, much more useful than 5 pm, in my opinion. PRay for MORE snow!!!
A small $30 donation will get the avy report e-mailed to you every morning around 6am.