We’re in the heart of ski and snowboard season, and sometimes you might want to roll over and catch more sleep rather than rise at the crack to hit the slopes, depending on what the weather forecasts. If you’re looking for a quick way to determine whether a pillow or black diamond wins out, the OnTheSnow app or website gives you a quick assessment.
The company provides a 24/7 “snow reporting desk” with on-site reporters who update weather conditions for more than 2,000 resorts worldwide (the U.S. has 473 resorts that were operational during the 2021-2022 winter season). OnTheSnow claims more than half a million global app users and 38 million annual website visits and reports that news stations and online sources, including Google, use its data to create snow reports.
Besides weather reporting, the app lets you rank ski resorts (like a Yelp for the slopes)—Steamboat in Colorado is currently #1—watch weather cams if a resort offers them, plan a ski trip, and read articles on topics like gear, great restaurants for apres-ski, and driving with tire chains.
As of this writing, the report for Homewood Mountain Resort in Lake Tahoe says it has received 30 inches of snow over the last 72 hours. Four out of its six lifts are running, and 62 of its 67 trails are open so you can enjoy the snow’s base depth of 68-114 inches. At Tamarack resort in Idaho, 13 inches have fallen in 72 hours, six out of seven lifts are running, all of its 48 trails are open, and the base depth is 41-72 inches. The Timberline Lodge in Oregon received 16 inches, all eight lifts are operational, 63 percent of its trails are open and there’s a glorious 100 inches of powder waiting for you (the app will differentiate between powder, packed powder, machine groomed snow and variable conditions).
Wanna ride a train to the slopes in Denver? Of course, you do!!
Dare to witness the wildness of skijoring? It takes place in Banff.
Steamboat wasn’t #1 on this list of best ski resorts; find out who was (results may vary).