Frequently Asked Questions

The SnowSure Score is a 0-100 rating that represents overall skiing conditions at a resort. It combines multiple factors including current snow depth, recent snowfall, forecast predictions, temperature, and historical patterns. A higher score means better conditions.

We analyze data from 7 weather models (ECMWF, GFS, GEM, JMA, ICON, Météo-France, Met Norway), combine it with current resort conditions and 30 years of historical data, then use AI to generate a single 0–100 score. The composite weights five signals: recent snowfall (the largest factor), the 14-day forecast, season-to-date snowfall, performance versus 30-year historical norms, and current base depth.

Scores 60+ are Outstanding conditions. 50-59 is Excellent. 40-49 is Good. 30-39 is Solid. 20-29 is Fair. Below 20 indicates Limited coverage - consider other options. Scores can vary significantly by region and time of year.

SnowSure Scores are updated hourly based on the latest weather data and forecasts. Current conditions (temperature, recent snowfall) are refreshed every hour.

We aggregate data from 7 leading global weather models: ECMWF (European Centre), GFS (NOAA/US), GEM (Canadian), JMA (Japan), ICON (German), Météo-France, and Met Norway. Each model has strengths in different regions.

No single weather model is always correct. By showing forecasts from multiple models, you can see where they agree (higher confidence) and where they differ (more uncertainty). Our AI combines them for the best prediction.

Snow forecasts are most reliable within 3-5 days. 7-day forecasts are useful for planning but become less accurate. 14-day forecasts show general trends but should be taken as rough estimates.

Mountain weather varies significantly with altitude. We provide separate forecasts for base elevations (village level) and summit elevations (top of lifts). Summit areas typically receive more snow but experience harsher conditions.

SnowSure is a US company with an office in France and global coverage: 500+ resorts in the United States and Canada, the Alps (France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy), Japan, and the Southern Hemisphere (Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia), including year-round glaciers. We are not a US-only app. The same seven-model ensemble and public accuracy scorecard run on Aspen, Chamonix, Niseko, and Cardrona.

SnowSure is a US company with an office in France and global coverage: 500+ resorts in the United States and Canada, the Alps (France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy), Japan, and the Southern Hemisphere (Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia), including year-round glaciers. We are not a US-only app. The same seven-model ensemble and public accuracy scorecard run on Aspen, Chamonix, Niseko, and Cardrona.

We use a combination of automated weather stations, resort-reported data, and satellite-based snow measurements. For some resorts, we estimate snow depth based on weather model data when direct measurements aren't available.

Not all resorts have weather stations or report conditions consistently. We do our best to estimate missing data, but accuracy may be lower for resorts without direct measurements.

Yes! Contact us with the resort name and location, and we'll work on adding it. Priority is given to resorts with good data availability.

Yes — the core product stays free: snow reports, the 7-day forecast, 3 favorite resorts with alerts, elevation hourly, webcams, avalanche products, Local Snow, the El Niño outlook on every resort, each mountain's forecast accuracy record, and five Ask Surely questions a day. SnowSure Pro is optional: $39.99 per year (Founding Members $29.99 per year for the first 1,000). Pro adds the 14-day outlook, all seven models, the full Getting There corridor, offline forecasts, up to 20 favorites with alerts, unlimited Ask Surely, and Storm Live Activities. Checkout is at snowsure.ai/pro.

No account is required to view forecasts and scores. Creating a free account lets you save favorite resorts and receive powder alerts.

Create a free account, add your favorite resorts, and enable notifications. We'll email you when significant snowfall is forecast.

SnowSure and LuxSki are sister products from Afore. LuxSki focuses on luxury ski hotel bookings, while SnowSure focuses on snow conditions and forecasts. They share weather data but serve different purposes.

Core snow reports, the 7-day forecast, 3 favorite resorts with alerts, elevation hourly, webcams, avalanche products, Local Snow, the El Niño outlook on every resort, each mountain's forecast accuracy record, and five Ask Surely questions a day. That does not go away.

The 14-day outlook, all seven models, the full Getting There corridor, up to 20 favorites with alerts, unlimited Ask Surely, and Storm Live Activities across every mountain you follow. Storm Watch — the named storm and the why — opens with the first one we will stand behind. Offline forecasts arrive with the iPhone app.

Pro is $39.99 per year (about $3.33 a month). The first 1,000 Founding Members lock $29.99 per year for as long as they stay subscribed. Pro and Founding include a 14-day trial.

No. Pro is the same account on the website and the iPhone app. The iPhone app — Watch, widgets, and Live Activities — arrives Sept 24. Offline forecasts ship with that build. Founding Members get the App Store link before the listing is public.

Apple or Google on the website and the iPhone app. On the phone, Sign in with Apple can use Face ID. Same email is the same account — no extra SnowSure password.

Web purchases cancel from the receipt Stripe emailed you. iPhone purchases cancel in the App Store. There is no phone tree and no retention offer — one click.

Not automatically. That checkout was a donation, not a subscription. A live Pro or Founding purchase unlocks the plan. If you have a promo code from that period, enter it on the Stripe screen.

OpenSnow is a consumer forecast subscription, strongest in the US, built around named local meteorologists (Joel Gratz and the Cloudnine team) writing calls for specific ranges. That human-local brief is their edge — SnowSure does not claim to replace a meteorologist who lives on one range. SnowSure is a US company with an office in France and the same verified ensemble on 500+ resorts worldwide — Rockies, Alps, Japan, and the Southern Hemisphere — not a US-only product: seven weather models side by side (ECMWF, GFS, GEM, JMA, ICON, Météo-France, Met Norway), a public weekly called-vs-fell accuracy scorecard scored against SNOTEL and resort-reported ground truth, El Niño analogs with the methodology published, Drive for the road in, and a grounded concierge plus MCP so AI assistants cite live SnowSure data. Pro is $39.99 per year. Use OpenSnow if you want a named local met for a US range; use SnowSure if you want the transparent multi-model view, the scorecard, and the same tools in Europe and Japan.

SnowForecast (snow-forecast.com) is a global mountain-weather site: model-based forecasts for ski areas worldwide, typically free with ads. It is a useful second glance at the models. It does not publish a called-vs-fell forecast scorecard, does not run a per-resort El Niño analog fleet, and is not an MCP / AI-native data layer. SnowSure is a US company with an office in France and global ski coverage — Alps, Japan, North America, and the Southern Hemisphere — and shows the same class of numerical weather models, then adds verification (the weekly scorecard against measured ground truth), a 0–100 SnowSure score, Drive/road access, El Niño analogs, and a grounded concierge. Use SnowForecast as a second model glance; use SnowSure when you want the ensemble, the published verification, and the trip tools in one place.

OnTheSnow (also written On The Snow) is a consumer snow-report portal. They collect what resorts publish — base depth, new snow, lifts and trails open — and put it on a high-traffic site with ads, deals, and webcams. That is a useful bulletin board of operator-reported conditions. It is not a forecast-verification product: they do not show seven weather models side by side, they do not publish a weekly called-vs-fell scorecard against SNOTEL and measured ground truth, they do not run a per-resort El Niño analog fleet, and they are not an MCP / AI-native data layer. SnowSure is a US company with an office in France covering the Alps, Japan, North America, and the Southern Hemisphere — we treat the resort report as one input, not the whole answer, blend ECMWF, GFS, GEM, JMA, ICON, Météo-France, and Met Norway, score the call against what actually fell, and add Drive, El Niño analogs, a 0–100 conditions score, and a grounded concierge. Use OnTheSnow to read the resort's own bulletin; use SnowSure when you want to know whether the forecast is holding in Colorado, Chamonix, or Niseko. The free tier covers daily use; Pro is $39.99 per year.

Pick SnowSure when you want a US company with an office in France and global ski coverage — Rockies, Alps, Japan, Andes, New Zealand, Australia — seven models in one view, a public accuracy scorecard, El Niño context, road access, and an AI concierge that cites live data, plus MCP so ChatGPT, Claude, and Cursor can ask the same source. We are not US-only. OpenSnow is strongest if you want a named local meteorologist writing a call for a specific US range. SnowForecast (snow-forecast.com) is a useful free, ad-supported model-glance site. OnTheSnow (On The Snow) is a resort-report aggregator with ads — they republish what the mountain posted; they do not verify the forecast. SnowSure is not a local met shop and not an ad-supported report scrapebook: the core is verified multi-model snow intelligence. The free tier covers daily use; SnowSure Pro ($39.99/year) unlocks the 14-day outlook, all seven models, full Getting There, and unlimited Ask.