Data & sources
How PowderPeek collects snow reports, prepares forecasts, and displays nearby mountains. PowderPeek is an independent guide with no resort or government affiliation.
Scheduled collection
A background collector runs every 15 minutes across the resort directory and saves the results in a database. It runs even when nobody is visiting the website. Opening a mountain, changing views, or tapping Refresh reads saved data; it does not start a weather-provider request.
| Source | Update timing |
|---|---|
| NWS forecasts and NOAA observations | Checked on the 15-minute collection schedule. NOAA observations are fetched once per collection. |
| WeatherAPI.com model forecasts | Reused for up to four hours. The collector recalculates the remaining part of today and renews the model when needed to cover the next seven dates. |
| Readable resort snow reports | Checked on the 15-minute schedule. |
| Unavailable resort reports | Sources without readable totals are retried daily. Previously readable reports that fail are retried after an hour. |
| MET Norway weather fallback | Reused for up to three hours when international model data are unavailable. |
A collection check does not mean the source issued new information. “Updated” identifies when PowderPeek saved a forecast; “issued,” “reported,” and model retrieval times identify the underlying data. Responses may be cached for another minute. Failed updates retain the last successful result and its timestamp, with delayed forecasts labeled.
Resort-reported snowfall
Collectors read public resort pages and the public feeds used by their snow widgets. Reported 24-, 48-, and 72-hour snow, seven-day snow, base depth, and season total remain separate. Base depth is not new snowfall. Published units are converted for the inches/centimeters toggle.
A verified report time no more than 36 hours old can supply the main 24-hour gauge. Older or undated reports remain visible with a label and are excluded from that current gauge. The time we fetched a page is never substituted for the snow measurement time. Resorts may use different daily reporting windows.
Some websites block automated requests, publish totals only in images, or have no readable report. We label the result and link to the resort. Collectors require explicit snowfall labels and units; we do not bypass access controls or invent a zero.
Nearby NOAA observations
When a recent official 24-hour amount is unavailable, the main gauge can show a NOAA NOHRSC observation from the closest station within 15 miles, using a 24-hour report no older than 36 hours. The station name, distance, elevation, and reporting time appear beside it. NOAA describes these reports as unofficial and provisional.
A nearby station may be in a valley or on another slope. It is not a measurement at the resort’s snow stake. The nearby-resort Snow report comparison shows resort reports, while the individual mountain’s gauge can use this clearly labeled NOAA fallback.
Seven-day forecasts and location accuracy
US forecasts use the National Weather Service API at an approximate resort reference point. The forecast grid elevation appears when available and may differ from the summit. Complete daily snowfall amounts come from the NWS snowfall-amount field. A seven-day weather outlook does not always include seven days of numeric snow totals.
When a complete NWS daily amount is missing, WeatherAPI.com supplies a model estimate for that whole day. Outside the US, it supplies the numeric seven-day forecast. Model days are labeled, and selecting a day shows its source. An incomplete NWS amount is never added to a model total.
We request WeatherAPI.com using resort coordinates, but the provider can resolve them to a nearby town. This applies to model data in every country. The mountain’s forecast shows the returned location and its distance from the resort reference point when available. For example, Sunshine Village can resolve to Banff town. A town forecast can differ substantially from conditions on the slopes because of elevation and local terrain. This location limitation remains; the displayed notice does not correct the model’s elevation.
Daily bars use each resort’s local calendar. Intervals crossing midnight are split proportionally, and today covers the remaining day. We use published snowfall fields; rain is never converted into guessed snow. Later days are less certain. If international model data are unavailable, MET Norway can provide a weather-only fallback under CC BY 4.0.
Reading the snow numbers
| Display | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | The amount feed estimates zero accumulation. This is not a guarantee that no snow will fall. |
| <0.1 in or cm | A small positive amount below 0.1 in the selected unit. It is not rounded down to zero. |
| — | The amount is unavailable. |
| Snow possible | The weather outlook mentions snow, including overnight periods, even though the amount feed estimates zero. The narrative and numeric forecast can disagree. |
Partial forecast totals identify how many of the seven daily amounts are available. Model estimates, observed station snowfall, and resort-reported snowfall describe different things and should not be treated as interchangeable.
Nearby mountains and favorites
Location access is optional. The home page uses your coordinates in the browser to rank the six closest ski areas by straight-line distance, not driving distance. PowderPeek does not save those coordinates or send them to its servers or weather providers. You can choose a listed city or ski area instead. The comparison reads saved forecasts and reports using resort identifiers.
Favorites and your preferred snow unit are saved only in that browser on that device. No username or login is required, and favorites do not sync across devices. Clearing the site’s browser data removes them. See Privacy for location, storage, and external-service details.
Snow cameras
Resort-published players or snapshots connect to the camera provider only after you choose to load them. Cameras are separate from the 15-minute weather collection. They can be offline, seasonal, or delayed; check the provider’s timestamp. A camera view is a visual reference, not a measured snowfall total. Official source links remain available.
Coverage and limitations
The directory is community-maintained. A listing does not confirm that a ski area is operating, open today, or connected to a readable snow report. Forecasts are estimates for general planning. For mountain conditions and safety decisions, consult official resort forecasts, weather services, road authorities, and avalanche advisories.